The Past The Present and The Future
by dbcWinter
Summary: Bray is back in Amber's life. Basically a continuation of 'A New World' novel.
1. Chapter 1

**T**he **P**ast, **T**he **P**resent and **T**he **F**uture

_The Tribe fan fiction based on the wonderful A New World book by AJ Penn._

_Focused on Bramber/Jamber thing, you can also read it as the missing pages between page 363 and the epilogue._

A note - - all characters are taken from The Tribe series and A New World novel. Nothing is mine; I just made up the storyline and the dialogues. Nothing would be possible without the wonderful masterminds behind The Tribe.

**PROLOGUE**

He felt the steel on the skin of his feet. The scorching pain was unbearable; his legs didn't need to do anything to hurt. Everything, from his skin right to the bone, hurt. Had he been at the pain championships, he surely would have won. He would have stood on the top off the podium, with a golden trophy in his hands, hearing the crowd screaming his name. Just like the old days. He would have been the champ. The ''it'' kid in school, popular with girls all looking to spend some time with him. He had been like one of those bachelors in reality TV his mom had watched every weekend. He would have lied if he said he hadn't enjoyed it. Who wouldn't have? Yet it was so superficial.

It hurt so much, he thought of letting go. How easy it would be, just to let go. Give his body some rest. The eternal rest. Because even if he had survived, what would he have done? He had no idea where he was, he hadn't seen a familiar face in… weeks? Months? It felt like years, like years had passed since he last saw her. She was so beautiful. He didn't know what had happened to her. Had she died? Perhaps.

Probably. She must have been up there, in Heaven. With his parents. They must have loved her. She was smart, kind, their cup of tea. A perfect daughter for Dad, a perfect shopping companion for Mum. If there were shopping malls in Heaven.

So why not let go? He would have been with her soon. With her; she meant everything to him, now, in this chaos their world had succumbed to. She was his world.

If she was not here anymore, why keep living? To get caught by another insane tribe and go through it again? He should have probably started thinking of the greeting he would give to Eloise. The hair, that would be a nice compliment, self-loving as she is, she would like it.

Suddenly he heard a voice. Laughter. His body froze as he looked over his shoulder. There was no one to be seen.

Simulation. That's it. It's only a simulation, he thought. He would step on the ground again and there, in the pose of a Superman, Blake would be standing. With a big B on his chest he would be there for another round. Because it hadn't been real. Because it wasn't real. Nothing was.

But her.

Or was she? Were memories of her really just … a simulation? Then these people had really outdone themselves. Making you feel pain, that was one thing. But making you feel love, the real one, well, that was an accomplishment to be proud of.

The laughter didn't stop so he looked around again. Rounder, this time. And he saw him, right by the ocean. He was floating in air, just as he was weightless. Laughing. Tears were running down his face, he was laughing so hard. Little Martin. He couldn't have been more than … 7, maybe 8? So small. But when their eyes caught contact, his were blue. As if they were contacts. He was wearing a helmet, with weird glasses. A cop – he looked like a cop-wannabe. Martin, a cop? He had wanted to be many things but police force, that wasn't one of them. It was so … violent for a boy like him.

"Martin?" he whispered. Even his vocal cord felt tired. From what? He didn't speak much these days. To who? He was all alone, not even voices in his head kept him company. At least schizophrenia could be marked out of the list of his everyday problems. That was good.

Martin didn't answer. He kept on laughing.

"Martin?" he repeated.

Something was wrong. But what? He didn't know. But had to find out. It was, after all, about his kid brother.

So he started climbing down, faster. As if the pain had miraculously transformed into strength. Maybe Blake really was a superhero, but he wasn't far back either. He was a fighter. He had been a fighter on a basketball court; he fought for principles, for the ones he loved. He was a fighter. Or was he?

What was he anyway? Because this couldn't be real. Martin, floating weightlessly in the air. His rising basketball career had kept him from many hours of Physics, but he knew enough it wasn't possible. Something was wrong.

His feet touched the ground. His arms finally got a break and his legs weren't happy with it. Feeling left out they made him collapse. Agonizing pain was present all over his body. But he knew he couldn't stop. He had to get up, go on.

Somehow he managed to get up. He started walking. He knew he was leaving bloody footprints behind. God knows what kind of infection he could catch here. These... people, they didn't seem very hygienic.

He couldn't take the pain anymore. There must have been some kind of limit. Evolution had done such great tricks.

He noticed a figure in a distance. Ah, Superman finally arrived. The opponent could fly and he could barely walk. He had no idea how he would get out of this one.

Or was it, the Superman, the figure? It looked more like Lois. It was a woman, no doubt about it.

Those eyes … those eyes he had stared in so many times. Those piercing, beautiful, kind perfect eyes … the eyes he had loved, cherished. He would recognize them anywhere. Anytime. She stood there, she, from all people. Motionless, surprised, even.

It couldn't be. She was from way after, not from now. The virus hadn't even happened yet. Martin was still so … small. She couldn't possibly stand there. He hadn't even met her yet.

So why did he felt this joy at seeing her? This urge to just run to her?

There was another human, standing behind her. Dressed in black, like death, with a small T on his forehead. It was them, it was them who had started it all. Who had taken him away, away from her.

So she was real after all?

She stood motionless. Speechless. So did he. He didn't know what to do. What to think. He didn't know anything anymore.

Yap, simulation. He was now surer than ever.

Suddenly a man moved. Stepped back.

So did her. As if she was on a track mill, she moved back with a still expression. Like a doll she looked as she was fading away. Away from him, again. Déjà vu.

"No!" he screamed. "Please don't go now! Please don't fade away! Not again!"

Nothing changed. The speed of fading increased, she was now only a dot, a beautiful dot in the distance.

"No, don't!" Bray screamed. "No!"

His body made a sudden move forward. He opened his eyes as he breathed, uncontrollably. He looked left from right, but there was no sign of her anymore. Just…

Where was he?

It was dark. A nighttime, maybe? Or another cold, dark, wet floor in captivity?

In the corner he saw a girl. She had a candle in her hands.

His muscles went straight into a fighting mood, ready to attack if needed. Like an animal. Lately he had been doing nothing but constantly fighting or looking out for danger. What a life.

"Who are you?" he shouted.

"Calm down," she said, with shaky voice.

"Where am I? Who are you? What are you doing to me?"

Martin then wasn't real after all. Computer software had messed up his mind more than he was willing to admit. He couldn't distinguish between what was real and what only a program, written in order to play games with his mind. He was giving in. They were winning. Whoever they were.

"It's OK, Bray, just calm down. I am not here to hurt you…"

"It is not ok! What is this? What are you doing to me, what do you want?"

In his confusion Bray failed to notice that he was no longer bleeding. His wounds had been taken care of and pillows under his head made sure he was comfortable.

"How do you know my name?"

Bray tried to get up but his legs didn't want to cooperate. His body was exhausted while his mind was on roller-coaster. This life, ever since he had been taken from that barn, it had been like running in circles, chasing your own tail. From one captivity to another. Maybe they finally succeeded in breaking him.

Lia was freaked out not only afraid for her safety, mainly for Bray's. In delusions he was in, he would easily hurt himself. He was messed up, mentally probably more than physically.

"What do you want from me? I have nothing left!"  
>But Lia had a secret weapon. Her hand had slowly fallen on the small injection. She grabbed it, stepped a bit closer.<p>

"It's alright, you are safe now."  
>"Am I?" he yelled.<p>

The injection she had stung Bray's forearm with, had an instant effect. His screams became whisper and his limbs felt number than ever. His body began to fall back, his head completely light.

"I am sorry," Lia said as she watched him fall back into unconsciousness.

Amber sat in the sand, hugging her knees, staring into the distance. The ocean was everywhere she looked. She heard waves hitting the shore. It was like poetry. The sound, the view, the smell, everything calmed her. It was so … stable. Constant. Safe. Everything around her was changing so fast, uncontrollably. The nature was the only stability she could find. A reminder that things would somehow work out eventually. The reassurance she needed more than ever now.

A firework of emotion was going through her. She felt the joy she hadn't felt in a while. It was so beautiful it made her wanna sing, dance, scream. She felt as she could fly. She couldn't quite comprehend what had happened yet. She had tried to come to the terms of him being dead for so long yet now, he was here, just meters away. Everything she tried to get over was thrown at her as a lie.

He was alive. The father of her child, the man she had loved, he was alive. Everything she had dreamt of, it was now real. She had made up million of ways for him to come back to her life. He would just show up one day, just like that. She would wake up and there he'd be, standing by the staircase, smiling at her. Or she would simply be walking around the city when he would bump into her. So suddenly. Just as suddenly as he had been taken away from her.

Yet none of the versions was as beautiful as this one, the reality. So unexpectedly they had found each other. She was almost afraid to blink; scared she would wake up only to find out it was all yet another dream.

She had to admit to herself that she had always felt him near her. His presence; as if he had never truly been gone. Some days she had seen a part of him everywhere she had looked. He had given her so much, taught her so much, he would always be with her. Through distance and time, no barriers could ever keep them apart.

But what if, she wondered now, what if she subconsciously had always known he hadn't really been dead? That he had been out there, somewhere, and that another place and another time would bring them back together? For the sake of her baby, for the sake of herself, she had moved on. She hadn't wanted to be stuck in something that was already gone. Life had so much to offer and she had promised to herself to live it to the fullest.

But now … everything was turned upside down. Like a banana in the mixer, that was how she felt. Life was throwing her from side to side, without a warning. She was now in a mix of the past and the present.

So what now?

Time had passed, things had changed. There was Jay now. The man she was close to now. The man she loved. Really loved, she had no doubt about it.

But she had loved in the past, before Bray. Yet it had been Bray she wanted all along.

She had loved him so much, back in the day. She had been sure it had been the ''it'' love. That it would last, forever. Nothing could possibly spoil it. Not when it had been so real.

And yet it had been gone in a second. A moment, it had been all it took.

All the love she had felt, she had somehow managed to transform into memories, beautiful memories than had warmed her heart, filling her with joy, they had given her strength.

But now, one after another, they were slowly moving towards her consciousness. As if they had been sleeping and now were slowly waking. As if the winter had passed and it started all over again. It was said that winter never really killed anything, only restored until later, better moment. And now the spring had brought him back to her.

The sound of steps woke her from her thoughts. She quickly turned around.

Jay way standing a few feet away from her, his eyes focused on something in the distance. Almost as if he wasn't really there.

She knew it must have been hard on him too. He loved her, he knew about the love she once had had for Bray. And now Bray was back. Even she didn't know what she was feeling, or what she was supposed to feel. How could he?

She was looking for word but found none. Funny how something so intense can leave you so speechless.

"Are you OK?" he finally said.

"Yeah," she said. "Yes."

He just stood there and she almost wanted him to leave, to leave her alone with her thoughts. It was hard enough without looking at him. She felt guilty for being so happy about seeing, touching Bray again even though she was with Jay now.

"He's alive," she slowly whispered.

The ocean's breeze carried her word to Jay's ear. He felt his heart stop, chills went down his spine.

He was alive, repeated endlessly in his mind. As much as he was happy for her, he couldn't help but to wish it hadn't happened. That they had never found Bray. Jay knew Amber loved him, now, but he was also aware that she had loved Bray once. They had a son, a bond Jay couldn't compete with.

He slowly nodded, still without looking at her. He sighed. It would have never happened if it hadn't been for Mega. Mega and his virus. Strange ways life took, he thought. Now his rescue was also his demise.

He slowly turned and walked away. He felt his feet giving in to sand, as much as his life was sinking. The unknown hollows were taking him in, he had no idea where. And how he would escape. If.

Amber followed him with her eyes for a minute, but then turned back to the ocean. It was wonderful.

"He's alive," she whispered again.

Sorry about tenses being all over the place. :)

to be continued.

by: misswinter


	2. Chapter 2

**The Past The Present and The Future**

_The Tribe fan fiction based on the wonderful A New World book by AJ Penn._

_Focused on Bramber/Jamber thing, you can also read it as the missing pages between page 363 and the epilogue._

A note - - all characters are taken from The Tribe series and A New World novel. Nothing is mine; I just made up the storyline and the dialogues. Nothing would be possible without the wonderful masterminds behind The Tribe.

CHAPTER 1

It was breakfast time in Camp Phoenix. The sun was shining at the heat was still bearable. It looked like it would be a beautiful day. Yet the mood among Mallrats was everything but shiny. Almost as if the morning light had stolen all of their energy.

Lex as eating a banana while staring at Jay who sat at the opposite side of the improvised table. Jay was the quite one, without saying a word or touching the tropical goods.

Amber was walking up and down, with her son in her arms. The baby was clearly upset, crying the whole morning. Everyone was pretty sure it was because of his mother's restless marching but no one was willing to speak up.

"Well, Lia, I don't understand!" said Amber while trying to calm her son, "what is so wrong about me seeing Bray?"

Lia was sitting next to Lex. She was exhausted and dreaded of Amber's constant verbal attacks. It was annoying Lex too. His eyes broke off Jay's motionless figure.

"She just told you! Haven't you been paying attention?"

"Well, I don't understand!"

"That's your problem then, not Lia's."

"I agree with Amber," spoke up Salene. She just found it annoying. They had found Bray, their leader, yet instead of being happy they were arguing. "He's going to be so happy to see her. Imagine how hard it must have been for him, not knowing what had happened to her. It must have been driving him crazy."

"He looked crazy," Sammy whispered.

"Yeah, it doesn't look like he has been in paradise lately," sarcastically added Lex.

Trudy was playing under the nearby tree with Brady. The screaming was giving her a headache. She didn't understand Amber; why she thought she needed Lia's permission to be with Bray who was still lying unconscious.

"You guys are pathetic. You're fighting here while … he's there. Bray's alive."

"It raises the question, though," said Ellie, who, like some others, didn't feel any hunger. The whole night, much to Jack's dismay, she had spent thinking about Alice. "If he's alive, then who else is alive too?"

"Exactly," Lex immediately turned his eyes back to Jay.

"Ellie, what will you do, just burst in thee…" Salene tried to calm the growing tension but Ellie didn't give her a change to finish.

"It's Bray, he won0t mind. He might now where Alice is."

"Or Tai-San," added Lex. He could see how uncomfortable Jay began to feel.

"He's messed up!" screamed Lia," he doesn't know what's real and what's not! Just give him time to…"

Lex was fed up. All of them fighting about Bray, why? He wads there, alive. He wasn't so sure about some others. And answers could have been sitting right in front of him.

"Oh, look, another member of Bray Fan Club!" he exclaimed.

"Shut up!" like a choir said Amber, Trudy and Salene.

"Hello, guys, really touching this all," said Gel, "but what about Ebony? And all the others? AND what are we gonna do with these people?"

She pointed towards people who they had rescued the day before. They were sitting a few meters away, quietly eating. It might have been a bit selfish of Mallrats, but Bray was in their minds ever since they had come back. His surprising turn up had raised a million questions, some of them they were even afraid to address.

Amber's eyes once again lay on a girl with brown hair and striking eyes. All she knew of her was that her name was Emma and she had a brother and a sister. And from her asking about Bray Amber could figure she knew him.

She shook her head.

"They aren't a priority now," she quickly said.

"We're behaving like a real leader, aren't we?"

"Sammy, why don't you go and find something to do?"

"Like what? Baby-sitting?"

Baby Bray cried out again as if he wanted his mother to stop screaming. It stopped her, at least for a bit.

Liam felt like it was time for another try.

"Really, Amber I would love for you and Bray just to… But…"

Lex rolled his eyes.

"I have an idea. Why don't we vote?"

Amber's patience was worn out.

"You are just so…"

Without finishing she turned around and marched away, toward the beach. It made Lex smile. Because maybe now would be the time to focus on something more important.

He looked at Jay again.

"And you Mr Co Leader, why are we being so quiet?"

Gel quickly crossed her arms as if she were in a conspiracy movie.

"He's scared."

Jay finally lifted his head.

"I am not scared."  
>"No, Jay isn't scared, he's petrified," whispered Sammy, finally finding a proper situation to shine again as an actor.<p>

"Give him a break, guys," exclaimed Trudy while hugging Brady.

"Why?" responded Lex, putting down the half-eaten banana, "He's the one whose fault this all is!"

"I am guilt of what? The invasion? Are you seeing things, Lex? Ram isn't here. As of Ram, we must go and look for him!"

"He's not one of us!" said Lex, "and neither are you!"

"Lex!" screamed Salene.

"What? Is there something I do not know? Have we voted on the no speaking rule?"

"Lex, listen I…"

"You told Amber Bray was dead!" Lex stood up.

Jay still sat.

"Yes, I did but…"

"Come on, guys, calm down, will ya?" Jack tried to intervene but no one even looked at him.

Lex looked like he had just shifted into the high gear.

"Don't you try to squeeze yourself out of it!"

"Please, stop screaming, Brady's…"

Lex was unstoppable.

"And it has just crossed my mind … you lied about that, what else id you lie about?"

"I didn't lie!" now Jay was screaming too.

"Yeah, of course. Bray's not alive, we're seeing things. And that story Ram and you told us … the Collective, was it … it was made up too, right?"

"That was Ram's story not mine."

"How long are you gonna keep this ''I'm a good guy'' thing going on? Have you even realized what this all means or were you too occupied realizing you and Amber are through?"

"I…"

"What did you do to him? And all the others you took?"

"I had nothing to do with it, I told you!" Jay stood up screaming.

"no, you were only their general," exclaimed Ellie.

"Ellie…"

"No, Salene, Lex is right. He was a Techno, our enemy, he took away our people! Of course he would lie to save himself!"

Jack tried to calm down Ellie, but h was unsuccessful.

"So, where are they, Jay?" she asked.

Lex was taken aback by her. So fierce she was. At least she had brains.

"You heard the woman. Where are they?"  
>Jay didn't know what to say anymore. He looked at Ellie and then at Lex. He understood where they were coming from, he really did. He just hoped they would calm down eventually.<p>

Lex had no doubt. There was fear in Jay's eyes. Now he only had to figure out what it meant.

Jay had had bad days in his life. Many of them. The world going to hell, his parents dying, losing the girl, losing his brother …

But he was also prone to self-pitying. Surely nothing was worse than adults dying but yet every time something bad happened to him afterwards, that was it, the worst thing of all. it just made him feel better, blaming it on some supernatural forces rather than on his actions alone.

This time it was no different. Finally meeting Bray the big hero of the Mallrats, it had been nothing but a disaster. As a nuclear bomb Bray had fallen into the middle of his perfectly tidied life. He had had what he had wanted. He had been respected, popular, even, a good guy, the big saint, the rescuer. And he had had Amber. She was the big jackpot.

But now ... Bray was back. And even though Jay had some sort of a superiority complex, he could see trouble on the horizon. Him having to step down from the throne. A back-up, a replacement, that was how he was feeling. He was the closest thing to Bray so they had used him. His clock was now ticking as the real king was back.

It had already started, his fall. Amber had been completely ignoring him for the whole day.

He wouldn't go down without a fight, though. He wasn't a toy, he had feelings. And he had been away from the center of Amber's attention for far too long for his liking.

He found her sitting under a palm tree, focused on her son. Trudy was near too, but it wasn't the time for him to be picky.

"Hi," he said, announcing his presence after her not acknowledging him for a few moments.

"Hello, Jay."

"Amber, I don't wanna go around this, we must talk."  
>"You don't have to tell me…" she sighed, still looking at her baby. Jay knew he had no right to demand her full attention when her son was around yet he wanted her to at least look at him.<p>

"But, Jay, now really isn't the best time…"

"Well, then, when will it be?" He knew it sounded rough but he had to let her know he was still there. He wasn't any less important just because of Bray.

"What do you want me to say, Jay?"  
>OK, maybe his tone really had gone a bit too far.<p>

"I'm sorry; I don't wanna fight, especially not with you… I know how hard this must be for you … but it is for me too, you know."

Had he seen it wrong or has she just really rolled her eyes?

"Yes, I do."

"I know how you felt about him, Amber. And now … He's here!"

_Momma, Cousin Ben stole my ball and broke Mrs Wilson's kitchen window, it wasn't me! _That voice had saved him when he had been six, surely it wouldn't fail him now.

"I know, Jay, I know! But what do you want me to say? That I don't love him anymore? That I am with you now and that him coming back doesn't change anything?"

Well, maybe he had been expecting a bit too much after all.

"I cannot tell you that, Jay! I don't know how I feel. Nor how I am supposed to be feeling!"

Women. You could give them everything, more than they had ever dared to dream of, yet they were going to dispose you like a piece of trash.

Ram. If he had indeed gone through with spending time developing low fat yogurt instead of Paradise, this would have never happened.

"So him being here does change things."

"Yes, it does."

"Amber, are you blaming me?"

"For what?"

"Do you think I lied to you? When I told you Bray was dead?"

"Well, it doesn't look like you were telling the truth, does it?"

And he was once again the culprit. The kid no one wanted to play with. Alone in the middle of a basketball court, with a gigantic ball in his small hands.

"I just told you what I had been told."

"Exactly. And that's the problem."

"That I believed what…"

"No! That I believed you! I should have waited until I had some kind of proof. Not a seven-letter word."

OK. Time for a back-up.

"I would never lie to you, Amber. Please, believe me."

"It doesn't matter, Jay. Don't bother. It is what it is."

He knelt next to her. She had no excuse but to look at him. The eyes of Jay. Her Jay. Yep, he was still present.

"Amber, whatever happens, however you decide … I want you to know that I love you. I love you."

He kissed her forehead and stared into her eyes for a few moments. Yap, the seed had been panted. The guilt she was feeling, Jay had all foreseen it in his mind. No matter what would happen between her and Bray, she now could not forget about Jay. The good Jay, who had done nothing but loved her. She could never make herself do anything to hurt him.

And as Jay walked away he knew that all that was left to do was to hope it would work.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

Amber had a nerve-breaking day with a billion things occupying her mind.

First of all, she was angry with herself. The father of her child was back yet she felt everything but the joy. It felt so selfish, her son finally had a father but she was too occupied by thinking about herself to be happy for him, the one who mattered the most.

Then there was Jay. She felt guilty – she was with him, she loved him, yet her heart went crazy when she only thought of another man. No matter how much she tried to rationalize to herself that it was the right thing, they after all had a child together, she still felt guilty.

Amber felt confused. Not because of all the questions Bray's return possessed, but because of her feelings. She hadn't lied when she had talked to Jay – she didn't know what Bray being back meant. Back in the city things had been so obvious. She had known that if Bray had never got taken, she would have been with him. No doubt. Not just because of the baby; she had loved Bray with all her heart. She had never thought of another man when she had been with him. It had always been Bray.

She did knew one thing, though – what kind of future the two of them had, also depended on Bray. How he felt. And that was another thing she couldn't get out of her head.

Emma

From all the questions she had asked about Bray and from all the concern she had shown, Amber knew they were close.

How close, that was the question.

After spending the whole day making herself crazy with one insane theory after another, Amber finally had enough.

But when she was spending just a few meters from Emma, she started doubting her decision. She could find out something she didn't want to hear. And, after all, it wasn't her business.

She was really close to walking away when Emma herself prevented her.

"Hello."

"How did you know I was standing here?" Amber asked, confused.

"Just because I'm blind, I'm not incompetent."

A young boy, Emma's brother, Amber was quite sure his name was Shannon, approached. Tiffany was looking at them as well.

Amber wanted to speak up, but Emma was once again faster.

"It's ok, Shannon."

The boy slowly nodded. Together with his younger sister he sat down under the nearest palm tree.

"I'm Emma. You can sit down if you want."

"I'm Amber."

"Ah, you're the leader," Emma smiled.

"Yeah, I guess I am."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Saving us?"

"Oh," laughed Amber. She had almost managed to forget how their paths had crossed. "No need to say thanks, really."

"It is … How is he?"

"Bray?"

"Yes. I've been trying to find out but nobody seems to really know …"

There was something about Emma, Amber couldn't deny it. She was stunned by Emma's independence, how she managed not only to survive, but also to raise her siblings despite her blindness. Amber couldn't help but to admire her. And she knew Bray must have been impressed but her as well.

"He's still unconscious. He's ... in a bad shape."

"But he will be alright?"

"He should be, yes."

Amber dreaded to think otherwise; him slipping away shortly after returning … she shook her head to make dark clouds go away.

"Do you know what happened to him?"

"The Fallen came … they traded us with this other tribe, on the oil rig where you found us …"

They … They were together, when they got taken. Amber couldn't help but to feel the tsunami of jealousy.

"And they, on the oil rig, hurt him?"

"They must have. He wasn't cooperating. They separated him from us."

Amber had to smile at the thought of Bray resisting Blake's forces. That was a man she knew. Loved.

"That sounds like him."

"You know him?"

"Yes, I do," she nodded, still with the craziest smile. Maybe it was a good thing Emma couldn't see it.

"Well?"

"Yes. Bray never … spoke of me?"

"No. he never spoke much about himself."

"Not even about Mallrats?"

"Oh, so he's one of you?"

"Yes, he was."

Amber was never good at hiding her feelings. Especially when it came to Bray. Way back, before they had ever got together, she had always felt her face blushing when he had been around. She couldn't keep her eyes of him, always looking for him with her eyes.

Now her voice spoke for itself. She felt as she had got a punch into her stomach. Bray never talking about her … she knew it probably didn't mean anything, but she couldn't deny disappointment. Feeling hurt. Had he given up on her, their baby? Had she been the only one longing for them to be reunited, someday, somewhere, somehow?

"So you came to save him?"

"Not … him. We didn't even know he was still alive. We thought he was dead."

"Maybe he thought the same. That you were dead and that's why he never spoke of you," Emma suggested.

"Maybe, yeah. Maybe he did," whispered Amber.

Maybe Emma really had lost her eyesight but over time she had learned how to use other senses to notice things. Little factors others weren't careful about. Slight change in someone's voice could tell a lot. Emma often saw more than people with 20/20 vision. Therefore it wasn't very hard for her to realize Amber was head over heels in love with Bray.

"He's got an incredible will to survive, though."

"He's a survivor," said Amber.

"Or maybe he's had a great reason to," Emma replied, smiling to Amber.

It was hard to keep track of the flying time. The setting sun still took them by surprise even though it was now not days but weeks since they had ended up on the tropical island.

Brady really took an advantage of being on the island. She spent days running around, whether on the beach or around the Camp Phoenix. She was constantly looking for a companion and it left Trudy exhausted at the end of the day.

Tonight was no different. Little girl finally ran out of energy right in the middle of Sammy's storytelling and it was up to Trudy to take her to bed.

While tucking her in, Trudy noticed Amber who was sitting nearby. She kissed her daughter's forehead and walked towards her friend. Lex's snoring was echoing around Camp Phoenix but Trudy was quite sure he wasn't the one who kept Amber wake.

Amber gave Trudy a slight smile when she sat down next to her.

"You've been so distant today," said Trudy.

"I have, haven't I?"

"It's so … surreal, isn't it?"

"Among other things."

Both of them went silent. It was a beautiful night; the sky was filled with stars. As angels they were looking, watching over them. Trudy believed stars were souls of all the people she had lost during her life. Not too long ago, she had thought Bray was one of them. She had believed she had known what had happened to him. He had been taken during the Techno invasion and later killed. Yet now everything had turned out to be a lie.

"But … what happened? Didn't Jay tell you that Bray was dead?"

Amber sighed as Trudy mentioned that day.

"Well I guess we can conclude that Technos were lying. I can't believe I'm actually surprised."

Lex's snoring stopped for a moment as Trudy looked at her friend.

"You think Jay lied to you?"

"I don't know what I'm thinking, Trudy," said Amber while trying to fight off the tears. "But, no, I don't think Jay lied to me."

"Amber, to be honest … I was never convinced of Jay's words."

"Yeah?"

Amber crossed her arms. Even though they were on a tropical island, it still got chilly at night.

"It seemed too simple. To take so many people just to … kill them."

"I always assumed it had something to do with experimenting."

"Well, no need for dark thoughts now!" Trudy exclaimed and smiled as if the words could fight off Amber's gloomy expression. "He's here. I am so happy."

"Yeah, me too," Amber nodded but Trudy could see through her mask.

"You don't sound too happy."

Amber's eyes drifted around camp.

"Trudy I am so…"

"Confused?" Trudy suggested.

"Yeah. Confused. Bray's alive, Jay's here …"

"Oh, Jay," Trudy rolled her eyes. It was so typical of Amber, to overlook the big picture and create problems where there weren't any.

"I must sound like such a cow right now. I took Jay from you and now I'm all crazy about some other guy."

"It's not just some other guy, Amber! It's Bray! I would be worried if you weren't crazy about him!"

"Yeah, BJ now finally has a father …" Amber sighed.

"See, it's a win win in every possible way!"

"No, it's not. Jay..."

"If Jay really loves you, he'll understand," Trudy interrupted her. She couldn't deny it, she was rooting for Bray and Amber to get back together. Not just because of their baby or because she believed they belong together - it was also because of Jay. It still affected Trudy, how he had used her to get to Amber. She would love to see him lose her now. Then he would probably know a bit better how he had hurt her.

"And I know you know this too, Amber. So it must be something else bugging you."

"You read me like a book, Amber smiled. "Trudy, I know how silly it will sound but … when Bray finds out about Jay … about me being with Jay, do you think he will be angry?"

Trudy's thought drifted way back, to the time when Amber had been with Sasha. How annoying and sulky Bray had been. So out of control, Trudy had seen it first hand how the love he had felt for Amber made him crazy.

But it had been such a long time ago; they had been only kids trying to survive. Trudy had been around when Bray had lost Amber – she could see how much the time he had spent with her changed him. He hadn't been the kid who hadn't got what he had wanted anymore.

She couldn't help but to smile at Amber.

"Bray won't blame you, Amber. He knows how it feels, losing the one you love. Plus, don't you think he'll be too occupied by his son?"

Amber had to smile when she pictured it in her mind; the two men she loved, that were most important to her, finally meeting each other.

"Yeah," she turned to Trudy. "Thank you. Just talking to you makes me feel much better."

"Any time girl," replied Trudy and accepted the hug.

The baby was restless.

It was late and Amber wanted to go to sleep but she couldn't get her son to calm down. Jay at first had been at her side but quickly decided that his beauty sleep was more important.

Amber tried everything – telling little baby a story, walking around with him in her arms, bringing him food, Trudy even sang to him. Some of the native girls brought some weird smelling juice but Amber declined as politely as she could, not being sure what was in it.

"The toys, we could give him some toys," Trudy suggested while trying to hide her yawning.

"Yeah, but I have no idea where I left it!" Amber said, irritated.

"You didn't leave it at the beach; I would have found it when I was looking for Brady."

"Well, then where is it?"

She looked around; hoping her lack of sleep had simply overlooked the toy, when she suddenly remembered.

"I must have left it in Bray's tent!" she said.

"Well, than go and pick it up!"

Amber knew Trudy wouldn't do it instead of her, so she simply nodded. She slowly walked towards Bray's tent. Even though Lia's medicine was effective and Bray's wounds were healing, the state he was in still hurt her. She decided to just pick up the toy and get out as quickly as possible, preferably not looking at him.

She entered, as silently as she could. Without turning to him she looked for the toy. It was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is it, then!" she whispered in despair. She sighed and it was only then that she realized his eyes were open.


	4. Chapter 4

First off, thank you for your lovely comments, nice to know somebody besides my friends likes the story (as they would probably like it even if it was horrible ).

Here it is, a completely Bramber chapter, hopefully y'all like it.

Enjoy.

Oh, and Happy Easter!

_Misswinter_

* * *

><p><strong>T<strong>he **P**ast, The **P**resent and **T**he **F**uture

_The Tribe fan fiction based on the wonderful A New World book by AJ Penn._

_Focused on Bramber/Jamber thing, you can also read it as the missing pages between page 363 and the epilogue._

A note - - all characters are taken from The Tribe series and A New World novel. Nothing is mine; I just made up the storyline and the dialogues. Nothing would be possible without the wonderful masterminds behind The Tribe.

**CHAPTER 4**

Amber stepped inside the tent. She wanted to pick up the missing toy and get out as soon as possible, not to disturb him. She knew how weak he was. It was in such contrast to what she was used of him. Always so strong. She had never seen him so weak before and no matter how much joy she felt at looking at him again, it hurt her. Not only because of Bray, but also because of their son. If there were people out there, ready to destroy others, where was their world headed? The road to a better, safer world seemed so endless.

"Where is it," she whispered to herself. She had been sure she mist have left it somewhere near the entrance as Lia hadn't let her in. Yet the toy was never to be seen.

She leant to the left to try her luck there, when she glanced towards Bray. To her surprise, she found his green eyes staring back at her. Those green days; just like that day a long long time ago, in the sewers, once again they took her breath away.

"Hi," she said, aware of how stupid it sounded. Her mind was completely frozen.

He didn't respond at first. She remembered Lia saying he couldn't distinguish between what was real and what was only a simulation. She couldn't help but to find it ironic, both of them unable go comprehend they had finally been reunited by destiny. She hoped he had longed for it as much as she had.

"Looking for this?" je finally said, still without moving his eyes off her. He slowly lifted his left hand; he held the toy she had been looking for.

"Yes," she nodded.

She wanted to simply explode. To tell him everything; about their son, how much they looked alike and how much he had been missed.

Yet there was some unexplainable force holding her back.

All the time that had passed … no matter how well she had known those eyes, every feature of his face, he was somehow a stranger. She was not the same person as before and she doubted he was.

"Are … Are you OK?" she said to break the silence between them.

"Yeah," he sighed after awhile, still without moving his eyes off her.

What was unknown to Amber was how hard he was trying not to show his feelings. All the joy he felt, he didn't want to let it slip. The words of how beautiful she looked, of how much he had missed her, loved her; they all stayed inside his mind. The moment was what he had hoped; prayed for; dreamt of, but fear settled in him. He dreaded to think of what had happened to her while they had been apart; it made him feel unease. And what he could read in her eyes didn't make him feel any better.

"Yeah," he sighed again and quickly glanced down.

He was so overwhelmed with feelings, he wasn't sure he would be able to hide them for much longer.

"This isn't … a simulation, right?"

"No, it is not," she silently said.

"You really … Are here …" he continued as his eyes took a sightseeing tour of the blanket he was covered with.

"Yes, I am."

It was him. Despite all the bruises, all the cuts, it was him, the man she had known so well. As he was lying there in front of her, her mind became bombed with memories. She couldn't keep her eyes off him. Like in a time capsule she found herself in time when he had been hers. But she was no longer his.

"I dreamt of this for so long," he said, as if he was struggling to find words, "I've lost hope, so many times. I really didn't think I'd see you again."

His eyes finally settled on the little toy in her hands. He managed to put together a little smile.

"I am fine, just a bit …"

"Can I get you anything? Water …"

"No, no," he shook his head, "just ... stay here."

She would even if he didn't ask. Them next to each other, in silence, it was just like before everything had happened. The nights they had spent together, just lying next to each other, without words. Feeling the other near had been all they had needed. Wanted.

Yet this time was different. She just couldn't give in to the feeling of calmness. There was tension as if both were afraid to say the wrong words.

"Where am I?"

"An island. That's really all I know."

"Not in the city?"

"No."

The city … it had been so far back. Amber was once again amazed by the destiny, the unseen yet powerful force. The virus, the new virus in the city, it had been the worst thing; it had forced to escape, to leave their home. Yet if they hadn't, she wouldn't be here now. She wouldn't know he was alive. She would still be rewriting their story in her mind before falling asleep.

Mega trying to kill them, he might have unknowingly saved Bray's life. She had to thank him in her mind.

"What are you doing away from home?"

He was so fragile; he wasn't sure whether it was the right thing to tell him all. Once again she thought of him being a stranger.

"Long story."

"It's not like I'm going anywhere. But if you …"

"No, no. I'll stay. I want to stay."

That must have been a good thing, he thought. He flashed back to the moment on the helicopter deck. He wanted to hold her again, to feel her next to him. Words made it so complicated.

"This ... guy took over the city. And he ... let something in the air."

"What?"

"A ... virus."

"The virus?"

"We didn't stay long enough to find out," she smiled, trying to break the uneasiness. His face stayed still.

He cursed them again in his mind. How they had taken him away, from her, their baby …

"What about you?" she said. "What happened? Are there any ... others?"

"I've seen KC. We've been prisoners together. I've heard of Tai-San, Ryan, Paul …"

"Paul? Wow, that was such a long time ago …"

He finally lifted his head and looked her into the eyes. He breathed deeply and he hoped she couldn't hear his heart racing.

"I've heard stories."

"Stories?"

"About you. The baby. I've heard that you both had died that only you lived. That you had a boy. A girl. Twins."

He looked at the toy in her hands.

"So which one is it?"

He didn't know about their baby. All the time she had spent with their son, he hadn't known whether they were even still alive. She remembered how hard it had been, right after he had disappeared, for days, weeks. Seeing a mixture of hope, joy, fear, anticipation in his eyes made her think of how hard it must have been for him.

But everything would be fine now. He was back and their son would grow up having a father, not listening to stories about him. It filled her with such joy she couldn't fought off tears in her eyes.

"A boy," she said. "A beautiful little baby boy."

His still face finally moved. A small smile spread across his face. Bray felt as the weight of the world had lifted off his chest. A baby boy. He had a son.

He felt happier that ever. It was worth going though hell, pain, to fight, just to hear those words. He was a father.

"A boy … What's his name?"

"I named him after you. Bray, I …"

"You thought I was dead."

"Yes."

"Why? Because I was gone?"

"Because … the told me."

_Because Jay had told her_. She had had hope in her, but everything had broken when those dreadful letters had appeared on the screen.

"You mean the Technos? They told you I was dead and you believed them?"

His tone became louder and she could sense a slight anger in it.

"Yes, I did. See … there was a guy and he was on our side."

"A Techno that was on your side?" he lifted his eyebrows, in complete disbelief.

"Why, is that so hard to believe?"

"Um, yes? Hard to think of any of them being good after you see what they do …"

A flashback flew in front of his eyes. He saw large figures in front of their barn, trying to fight them off, losing. He once again felt chains around his ankles, wrists, waist; he smelt his skin burning as they categorized him.

He suddenly felt dizzy. As if he was spilling, falling.

Amber noticed how his face lost the little color it had had. His eyes looked as if they were slowly fading; she leant forward, with concern in her eyes.

"Bray? Bray?"

He didn't respond. His eyes continued to stare into the distance, empty. She felt the waves of panic going through her veins. She couldn't lose him, not now when he had only come back.

"Bray?"

"I'm fine. Forget it, it doesn't matter," he finally said to her relief. He shook his head to fight ff the darkness. It didn't matter anymore. He was here now, with her. Their baby.

He looked so weak. Lost.

"What did they do to you?" she whispered, in shaky voice and dreaded.

He shrugged and bit his lip.

"Stuff."

"That oil rig, where we found you, what were you doing there?"

"I was transported there."

"They were … transporting you?"

"If you're asking if I was a piece of meat for the, yes, I was. Amber … what happened that day, in the barn? After I ...? I saw blood, Amber. That wasn't normal. What happened? Did they ...?

"Trudy came."

"Trudy?"

"Yeah. I would have ... I would have died, along with our son, if she didn't come."

"I got to thank her, then."

The way he looked at her … it was like old times. Yet things were so different now. It felt like a nightmare she couldn't wake up from. She was here, he was here yet they were apart. And it wasn't even their fault. They had stood by each other, that long time ago in the city, unwilling to let each other go. Yet now they were standing on two different sides. Time had broken them apart. There was nothing they could have done differently; it just hadn't been meant to be. Destiny had brought them together and destiny had had separated them. No win no lose, it had just happened.

"I'm not a fool, Amber," he said quietly.

"Excuse me?" she said with her mind still drifting.

"I know I've been gone a long time … I see it in your eyes … who is he?"

He had thought it would hurt to say those words. But as he actually spoke them … the joy he felt at being around her, knowing he had a son, the pain was nothing comparing to that. Maybe he didn't have her anymore, but she was alive, alright. It would be selfish to ask for more.

"Bray, believe me, if I had known ..."

"But you didn't. I've done it too once, remember?"

He smiled at her weakly and a volcano of guilt erupted in her again.

"Is he a good guy?"

It was so cruel.

"Yes, he is."

"Treating you right?"

"Yes."

"And our son?"

"Yes."

"OK, then. I'd really like to meet him, though."

She couldn't help but to laugh at it all.

"What?"

"Nothing. This is just so … confusing."

"Sorry to mess up your life."

"No, no. you didn't mess up everything. Just you being here … it's like all the dreams came true. Now our son will finally know his father …"

"I don't want you to feel bad about it, Am. Time … moved on. Things changed. I don't blame you, at all. I'm … happy for you. I really am. I would hate you to see you frozen in time … I want you to be happy … you know that, right?"

Her hand slipped into his as she looked at him relieved. She was glad it was over. They resolved it. Now they could focus on the most important thing – their son. She was so glad to have the second chance life had given her. They had to make the best of it.

For their son.

Suddenly the future seemed so bright.

"God, I missed you so much," she whispered as she felt tears in her eyes. She didn't know how but the next moment she just found herself throwing her arms around his body.

He was at first surprised but then quickly pulled her near as if afraid something would take her away again. He knew of the other – maybe this would be the last time he ever got to hold her. They had a moment, only their moment.

"Me too," he whispered and closed his eyes, hoping it would never end.

* * *

><p><em>To be continued.<em>

_broughttoyouby::: misswinter_


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Bray still woke up every morning, dreaded it would turn out to be yet another simulation.

It would break him; he had no doubt about it. Another guard in merciless boots; tasteless, if any, meal; pointless torture and senseless captivity. Another cruel twist of fate instead of a life of freedom, spend with his son, his tribe, with Amber.

But the warm sun rays weren't something he would be privileged to experience with Eloise or any other of her kind. It was real, he was finally home.

He felt much better; he was getting his strength back and he could move without being stopped by the pain. He was looking forward to spending a day with his son and there really were no more reasons not to get up. His mind simply wasn't programmed to spending larger periods of time in bed.

His eyes were blinded by the bright sun when he got out of the tent. After spending so much time in the darkness, he guessed he would just have to get used to it again.

He looked around, trying to find a familiar face. He saw people he had heard of; a girl fussing over the state of her hair; a guy in even worse physical shape than him; and then his eyes collided with a blond guy he also didn't recognize. Ne had a small T mark on his forehead and he was wearing a black suit, with a red zapper on the front side. Bray didn0t have to know his name to know who he was.

A Techno.

And suddenly it all came back to him.

_Him being in a barn, with Amber's blood on his fingers. The sound of airplanes, something he hadn't heard ever since the adults had perished. The absurd thought became real when he stepped outside, faced by the airplanes circling above him. Figures in masks appearing in front of him, taking him by surprise. When he realized what they had intended, it was already too late, he had already been dragged away from the barn, from Amber, his baby. He tried to fight, but it was no use, he was outnumbered. _

_He saw one of them stepping inside the barn, but before he could do anything, he felt the blow to his head. _

_When he finally came around, he was on a truck. He had no idea where they were headed. Around him, there were more people, with miserable look on their faces. Two of them were also present; he yelled at them, demanding answers, but he didn't get any. _

_They stopped at one of the Techno camps. Only days later he was transported again and the agony started. At first he was a laborer, doing the worst and the most pointless work. Soon he realized it was only a test, separating the best from the rest. He got a letter L imprinted on his shoulder, marked as a guinea pig. He was exposed to simulations, mind games and reality space. It affected him both mentally and physically, not only experiments but also everything that came along – he was traded numerous times, labeled as one of the strongest, toughest. His captures were changing it might have been his dying will, but it seemed they were getting worse._

_He hit the rock bottom with Eloise. He knew there were only two way – escape or death._

His life in and out of captivity brought him back to his family. And there was no way he would let them take it away from him. They had taken more than enough if his time, his life. Never again he would let them hurt him or the ones he loved.

As he watched a Techno in front of him, convinced Eloise had sent him to bring him back to her, he knew it was either him ir them. He would rather die than go through with it again.

Jay never saw it coming. He was deep in his thoughts when he suddenly heard someone running towards him. He lifted his head, convinced it was one of the kids, playing some pointless game again. Or maybe Lex, in worst-case scenario. Jay would never admit it but he was terrified fi the guy.

He didn't realize it was Bray until he found himself next to a palm tree. Bray's hand was on his throat and it made it hard for Jay to breath.

Jay felt petrified. He was never much of a fighter, even though he had always had power. He was aware, deep inside, it had all been thanks to the fancy toys of his friends. His hands had been made for ladies not fighting.

He had no doubt – ne was no match to Bray. He could swear there was pure rage coming out of his eyes.

Jay had heard numerous stories of Bray, the hero of the Mallrats, probably more stories than he had ever desired. Bray hadn't sounded anything like this cold-blooded, rage driven, probably not completely sane vigilante that was now in front of him, physically attacking him. Actually he had sounded a lot like him – kind, nice, peace-loving, democratic, with love for ladies not fists.

He tried to speak but he was too freaked out to do so.

Bray, on the other hand, started yelling.

"You're here for me, aren't you? Aren't you? I am not going with you! Not ever again! You hear me?"

Jay tried to find words but before he could, Bray's fist flew across his face. Jay could taste the blood on his lips. He shook with fear when he thought of his face, all bloody and swollen, scars that would haunt him till the day he would day. Once again he regretted not pressing harder on Ram when he had been thinking of building hospitals.

"Not so tough, are you? I'll make you pay for everything you have done to me!"

Amber, Trudy and Lex, the headquarters of the Mallrats, were on the other side of the camp Phoenix, discussing their future, when they heard screams. Believing Bray must have woken up thinking he was in another simulation, they ran towards the screams.

Amber was shocked at the scene. She had never seen Bray so aggressive, violent before. She had dreaded of something like that happening, but after their talk the night before, he had assured her it was alright …

Trudy hugged her and turned to Lex.

"Lex, do something!" she screamed.

"What? Join him?" he shrugged.

"Lex!"

"What? He's doing what I should have done a long time ago!"  
>Jay, seeing Lex, Amber and Trudy, suddenly felt much better. Surely they wouldn't let his pretty face go to waste!<p>

"Come down, man! I am not trying to hurt you…"

"Calm down?"

Jay's face was by then one bloody mess. His soft lips; the-not-too-big-not-too-small-the-perfectly-shaped nose; he knew everything was gone.

"My nose .."

"Lex!" Trudy exclaimed, but Lex completely ignored her. As Jack, Salene or any other rational Mallrats were nowhere to be seen, she knew it was up to her to break them up. She pushed Amber towards Gel who didn't know whether to scream, cry or run away. Not knowing what to do she looked around fir any clue, but then finally hugged Amber around her shoulders.

"Bray, stop it!" Trudy screamed and tied to get hold of him.

"No, Trudy, let them handle it," Lex interrupted.

"And what, kill each other?"

Lex realized that Bray was in no state to recognize Trudy as the one trying to pull him away. On his revenge-driven mission he could only see Jay. Lex didn't know what triggered his mate to get so out of control but he didn't feel sorry for Jay one bit. Lex had suspected for a while that he wasn't as honest as he liked to pretend. It had been before Bray had suddenly reappeared – that was just the final proof of everything Lex had heard before they had been forced to run. Now he knew. Everything the Technos had told him was a lie. Jay's puppy eyes lost all of its innocence for Lex – as a General, Lex was sure Jay must have known the truth all too well.

He understood how Bray must have felt; being taken away from the woman he loved. Technos also had taken away his wife, Tai San. That was something he could never forget them. He would much rather join Bray than stop him. He firmly believed that beating or two would make Jay talk.

But he knew Trudy was in danger to get hurt as well. She didn't deserve it and even though he didn't show it often, Lex cared for enough to pull her away.

"Bray, we'll deal with this another way," he said reassuringly, although he doubted it would help.

"Yeah? By talking? These monsters don't know anything but …"

"Yeah, but this one is different. Slightly impaired. He switched sides. He's one of us now," Lex said, disgusted by the sound of his own words. He hoped Bray wouldn't notice.

"You can't switch sides, not when you are one of them."

Jay appreciated Lex's intervention but he wasn't doing by far enough. With Bray's hand still on his throat Jay still had trouble breathing. And even though the punches had stopped, his future wasn't bright due to the lack of oxygen he was exposed to.

Trudy stepped closer.

"Jay's a good guy, Bray," she said. "Believe me. He helped us out numerous times. We wouldn't be here if it weren't for him."

Jay managed a slight smile when Bray looked at him. But this time Bray's expression was different. His eyes seemed distant, empty. As if his drive had dried out.

His arms fell off Jay who immediately touched his neck to see if it was still in one piece. He started to breathe heavily and he was expecting everyone to focus on him, on checking whether he was alright.

Bray slowly turned around, to Amber who was still in shock, now with tears in her eyes. Gel was nervously looking around, desperately searching for someone to relieve her.

"Jay?" he silently whispered. "He is Jay?"

Amber's heart stopped when she was faced with Bray's eyes. As if she was in a middle of her worst nightmare. He looked at her, betrayed. Disappointed, hurt. Just as she had feared he would.

She couldn't control her tears anymore.

"Bray .."

"He is Jay?" Bray repeated, still whispering.

Gel's scale of uncomfort had reached the maximum level.

"Oops," she said and let go of Amber. She certainly didn't want tears to ruin her make up nor she wanted to be in the middle of the apparent breakdown.

"You said it was alright…"

"He is a Techno!" shouted Bray. Everyone was quiet. Even Jay had stopped complaining about his nose as no one was interested. Plus, the scene looked to be better than those virtual reality things he had experienced while working under Ram.

Because no one said anything, Bray's screams were echoing and also in Amber's mind. She felt the world around her spinning, out of control.

"Not anymore .."

"Not anymore? Does it matter? He was, once!"

Bray shook his head as his voice broke. His eyes too started to fill with tears.

"No, Amber … They .. They destroyed everything. Our baby almost died because of them. They almost killed me. Did you forget? Or it doesn't mean anything to you anymore?"

She didn't try to say anything anymore. She just stood, listening to Bray's words, feeling her heart breaking. As if in an out-of-body experience she was faced with everything. Her being with Jay … she understood how Bray felt. It was like déjà vu, only this time tables were turned. She remembered how thinking of Danni had been driving her insane. Not knowing what Bray had felt for her. But she had known it had been her own fault – Bray would have never been with Danni had she been there. She couldn't be upset with him.

But he now had the right. Danni had had nothing to do with them, while Jay in some sense had been responsible for Bray's disappearance.

"I'm sorry ..." she whispered, knowing nothing could change it.

"Why …"

Bray's face became wet from his tears as he stared at her. Technos took everything away from him, separating him from his baby, almost taking his life as well. Now one of them had the woman he loved. It was too much to bear, his body was shaking uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry …"

"You … disgust me."

Trudy looked at Bray in a complete disbelief of what he had just said. His face was motionless; he stared at Amber, with contempt in his eyes.

"Take him back to his tent," she whispered to Lex. For a moment she was afraid he would give one of his sarcastic remarks or even try to mock but to her relief he just slightly nodded.

He walked towards Bray.

"Come on, man."

Bray continued to stare at Amber for a few seconds but then gave in to Lex. They slowly walked away, without either of them turning around.

Amber at first just stared, but then started to sob. Her heart was completely broken; just as her life had started to piece back together, everything fell apart again.

"Oh, Trudy," she whispered between sobs yet struggled to form words. Trudy quickly stepped to her and hugged her.

"It's gonna be aright, Amber," she calmly said, even she having problems believing herself. "We'll make it alright, I promise."

Jay leant to the tree again, this time with his breathing intact. He felt bad for Amber; he would very much like to return those punches to Bray for what he had said. Yet a part of him couldn't be happier – maybe after all he wouldn't get out of this triangle as a complete loser.


	6. Chapter 6

_Here it is, chapter 6. It's a bit longer this time, couldn't decide which part to leave out ;)._

_Thank you for all your nice comments, great to hear y'all like it. I am pretty sure Bray won't get this upset about Jay in ANW II, at least the epilogue implied that, but I hope it won't turn you away from reading any more. Let me know what you think._

* * *

><p><em>The Past, The Present and The Future<em>

_The Tribe fan fiction based on the wonderful A New World book by AJ Penn._

_Focused on Bramber/Jamber thing, you can also read it as the missing pages between page 363 and the epilogue._

_A note - - all characters are taken from The Tribe series and A New World novel. Nothing is mine; I just made up the storyline and the dialogues. Nothing would be possible without the wonderful masterminds behind The Tribe._

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 6<strong>

Jay woke up with pain in his back and red eyes. It was a struggle to keep his eyes open; all he wanted was to roll back and go back to sleep.

He had been up most of the night; he had been in pain and not even some herbal remedy, brought by native girls, had helped. He didn't know whether his body simply had given in to the pain or had the medicine actually kicked in, but towards the morning he had finally fallen asleep.

Looking at Amber wasn't helpful. She had been completely distraught over Bray's words and even when she had asked him if it had hurt much, he had felt like she hadn't really cared. He had tried to be a good boyfriend, he really had. He had tried to talk to her, he had sat next to her, hugging her, but all he had got in return was that she had been OK and that he should have gone to sleep.

And so he had.

Now when he opened his eyes again, he found her sitting nearby, not far from him, hugging her knees. Jay got up and trudged to her. Her eyes were no longer red and she didn't look like she had been crying. The afternoon before had probably drained all the tears from her.

"Hey," he said and rubbed her back, "how are you?"

"I am fine. I just wish everyone would stop asking me that already."

But it was obvious she wasn't alright. Maybe they really hadn't been together for a long time, but Jay had her figured out quite well already. It was bad when she was crying, yet nothing comparing to when she pressed her lips tightly together and pretended like it was nothing. It left Jay feeling completely useless; had she cried, he would have known what to do. Kiss her forehead; reassure her it would be alright, somehow. But when she was pushing him away … he had no idea what to do. Just looking at her felt insufficient, getting near her felt forced.

Being in a relationship was hard work, Jay was sure of it. But he also believed it wasn't just up to him. He would have to try too, not isolate herself every time something happened.

Maybe, he figured, she just needed some time to get over everything.

He sighed.

"I'll just go…"

"Yeah, you do that," she nodded.

* * *

><p>Trudy felt unease at going to the breakfast. The events of the previous day still lingered in her mind. Bray's expression when he had said those dreadful words; Amber's eyes. She cared for both of them so much it hurt her too.<p>

She felt for both of them. She was pretty sure each understood the other too; Bray Amber's relationship with Jay and Amber Bray's reaction. Yet everything was so sudden; time had passed since they had been separated and things had changed. Trudy knew how hard it was to comprehend all at once. She however firmly believed everything would work up eventually. Amber and Bray had always found a way to work things out. They had such a special bond; they loved and respected each other too much to simply give in. All they needed was some time to process everything. And as of Jay, Trudy knew him well. Even though he had hurt her once, very badly, she believed he was a good guy, that he genuinely loved Amber. Wanted the best for her. He wouldn't interfere if she chose Bray; Trudy was sure.

They were both already present when Trudy camp to the center of Camp Phoenix for breakfast. They were sitting at different ends of the improvised table. Bray had his son on his knees; amber was avoiding looking at their direction. Jay who was sitting next to her looked calm, as if he wasn't in much pain anymore.

Trudy sat down next to Salene, somewhere in the middle.

"What did I miss?" she whispered.

"Nothing," responded Salene, "only Gel's broken nail."

"Ah."

Trudy looked at Bray. He looked so happy, peaceful, while being with his son. Little boy stared at his father as if he knew who he was. She could only hope Bray would do what was best for him – stop fighting with Amber or at least try to avoid her while figuring things out. The baby had been without his father long enough.

Nobody talked much during breakfast, as if they were all afraid of saying something that would reflect the day before.

Gel tried to complain about the trouble she had had putting in make-up but one cold stare from Lex stopped her.

Amber finally cleaned her throat.

"There's something we need to address as a tribe," she said with voice that indicated she would much rather be quiet.

"If it is about bonding with the Natives, I have already told you I am in," said Lex, "I'm getting tired of eating fruit all the time. How about some real food, like meat for example?"

"While we have food, there are other priorities," responded Amber. She was already having a horrible day; the last thing she wanted was grumpy Lex.

"Ah, right. Let's be happy for what we have, right? Then, what is it? Are we gonna do some sort of a … no, wait, I have an idea!"

Bray felt torn while listening to Lex and looking at Amber who was clearly struggling. A part of her liked seeing her in pain. It was similar to how he was feeling and he hoped it hurt her at least half as much as it was hurting him. He couldn't let go of the thought of her being with one of them. Him being a Techno was too much for Bray to handle. His wounds, both physical and emotional, were still far too fresh to simply forget.

But a larger part of him wanted Lex to shut up. He had always hated seeing her, the woman he loved with all his being, hurting. While watching the pain in her eyes he wished it could all just disappear. He wanted to get up, walk up to her, and embrace her, so tightly everything else would just fade away. He wanted to take her pain away, to make her forget, bring back her smile. He wished to simply close this chapter of their lives; leave the invasion, their separation, Jay, behind and start another one, with them being a family.

But it was the wrong kind of place; the wrong time.

He clenched his teeth when he looked at Jay.

"Lex, please, just this time, calm down."

"Yes," added Jay, feeling the need to speak, "it's important. You can talk afterwards."

"Oh! So much about democracy!"

"What is it, Amber?" asked Salene, tired of everyone keep fighting. Amber looked at her, grateful. It felt good to know that she still had people who wouldn't let her fall apart completely.

"We need to talk about Ram."

Trudy sighed. She knew this subject was coming, eventually. It didn't look like it would bring anything positive along.

"Ram? What the hell do we need or want to talk about Ram?" exclaimed Lex.

"Because he's one of us!" said Jay.

"One of us? So we now lie to each other?"

Amber rolled her eyes. Suddenly she felt the urge to simply lock Lex away, from her sight. Too bad tropical islands didn't have cages. Democracy could really be a pain sometimes but she didn't dare to admit to herself that Lex was only annoying her because he was right. The more time passed the more she realized how wrong she had been in giving in to the Technos. They had been their enemies yet she had let them fool her. Ram in particular. The big boss. He must have known where Bray had been, all along. And he had never said a word. She doubted he ever would if it hadn't been for the oil rig. The last thing she wanted was to fight to get Ram back, risking other lives in a process. But she knew she had to do the right thing as a leader.

"Lex, Ram…"

"Oh, please! You don't seriously believe that ''the Collective' story, do you?"

"Here we go again," sighed Salene, crossing her arms. She knew interfering would solve nothing. Lex was unstoppable while being in his state.

"He didn't lie!" shouted Jay. Maybe a bit too loud, as his facial muscles reminded him.

"Of course your master didn't lie, you puppet!"

"Lex, that's enough you're being insulting," Amber said.

"Insulting? Are you kidding? I am fed up! Why are these people being treated as kings while … while they are lying to our faces?"

Amber genuinely liked being a leader. It gave her a chance to influence the outcome, to help others, to try to change their world for the better.

All along she had never lost her faith in the good of humanity. All it needed was a help to get heard, someone to show them the way. She believed in it so passionately that she wasn't afraid to take risks. She believed it was worth it.

Yet now, while Lex was yelling, she started doubting. She was getting tired of it all. Because being a leader also meant always be prepared to listen to other, to help them, to break up fights, to solve issues. Being a leader was above being you. For the good of her tribe she was trying to please everyone. They all had their own idea of the right thing and it was up to her to find a middle way. Ne it was the wrong time to became weak, bound by personal problems. And yet at the same time she had never been so torn, so unfocused. Her child, Jay, Bray, oh Bray, everything was before leading the tribe. She wanted to leave it all. What was she now to them their problems, if she couldn't even solve her own?

"I didn't lie!" shouted Jay.

"Oh god, is there anything else you can say? Oh, wait, it is – I am a good guy, I believe in hospitals, blah blah. As far as I can see it you are either a lair ir the dumbest General in history!"

"We get your point Lex, now…"

"I really envy you your forgiving heart, Amber. He abducted the father of your child, made you believe he was dead yet you still believe him! How can you be so blind?"

Everyone was looking at her, she could feel it. She was sitting in front of them, in the open, vulnerable to their judgments, reproaches. It felt like being naked. She tried to deny it but she knew even the slightest wind could blow down the cover she had put up.

She needed him. Not only wanted, but needed. She longed for the feeling of safety he had given her, the strength she had got from knowing he had been with her, always. When they had led the tribe together she had always known it would work out. In defeat they would still have each other and even if she had made the wrong decision, he would have never left her side. His love, their love would never leave her. It had felt unbreakable.

Now they were caught in a battle, fighting on different sides. It felt like the test of their strength, something she lacked. The thought of them continuing being like this dreaded her. Because she couldn't win. Such a massive loss in every aspect, yet there was nothing she could do.

Even if he accepted Jay, it would never be the same. They would no longer be able to lead the tribe together; the feeling of distrust and deception would constantly be between them. The only thing they now had was their son. Only for him they could find a way to get back to at least a piece of what they had had.

It was so hopeless. The last thing she wanted was to deal with Ram. It was his fault after all. Lex had a point; but she knew she only believed that because of how his action had affected her. She was a leader; she couldn't let her feelings influence her decisions. Whatever Ram had done, it was now in the past. He was on their side; he deserved to be rescued just like anyone else.

But explaining it to Lex would be a mission impossible. She wished she could just let go – Lex could be a leader if he wanted. They were the same now – unable to decide for the tribe's best. But Lex at least had the drive she lacked.

"People we took were Mega's responsibility, not mine," insisted Jay.

"You still have my wife!" shouted Lex.

The agony in his voice hit Amber hard. It made her feel guilty. That was how you fought for someone you loved. All she had done felt worthless. Maybe she really had been blind, just like Lex had said. Maybe she just hadn't wanted to fight with the Technos so she had accepted Jay's words. No amount of telling herself it had been for her child's best didn't help. Because Bray would have fought harder for her. He wouldn't have given in, not until he had known for sure. He did have a right to be upset, to feel like she didn't care she certainly hadn't shown how much she cared.

"Tai-San is out there somewhere and the way we found Bray doesn't make me very optimistic! God knows what they are doing to her! Am I really the only one who cares?"

Amber knew he wanted to look her directly into her eyes, so she looked away. He was an enormous hammer hitting on her conscience.

Lex looked at everybody, but they were all silent, avoiding the eye contact. He shook his head. He didn't even try to hide the pain on his face,

"You're unbelievable," he said. He turned around and walked away, towards the jungle. All that was left was a lingering silence.

Of course it was expected of her to speak up. The easiest thing was to sit there; knowing nothing was up to you.

She sighed.

"He stated his point; now let's go on with…"

"No, Amber, he's right," Bray interrupted her. It took her by surprise. She might have been trying to ignore him and failing but him putting himself in a spotlight certainly didn't help.

Bray had never opposed her; they had often seen thing in the same way – as it had been the best for the tribe. She couldn't help but to think he was now only doing it to hurt her even more.

"Excuse me?"

"Ryan, KC, Alice, they are all still out there. They are Mallrats; we must find them."

"So is Ram," she said. She hated how he made her stare into his eyes.

"So now we have a new policy? Don't look for the missing unless they happen to bump into you?"

Did he really have to remind her, over and over again? As if she had forgotten? What was it, about causing her pain, what did he get out of it? She was already broken, what else did he want?

"You think this is easy for me?"

"No, I don't."

"Then why are you doing this to me?"

He shrugged.

"I'm just discussing the problem," he lightly said.

"It doesn't sound like you are."

"Then maybe you're not seeing it clearly."

Clearly?

What was still clear, anyway? The Past? She had thought so but then he had come back to her. Suddenly everything had turned into lies, deception. The Present? It was so complicated. She was longing for him, he was there yet he felt so far away. She was bombed by billions of doubts, thoughts, emotions, each confusing her even more. The Future? Certainly not. Amber now saw the rest of her life as an endless road of a broken soul. She had survived so many ordeals in her life yet she wasn't sure she would go through this one. Love was the strangest thing. So powerful, inspiring, it made her feel so high, like she could reach for everything. Yet nothing had knocked her down harder, broken her completely. Nothing had ever caused her so much pain as love.

She looked into his eyes, the eyes of the one who was her safe harbor and demise at the same time.

"It's like you said – we have to search for the missing."

"It's like Lex said – Ram is not a Mallrat. He's a Techno."

Trudy realized they were going nowhere. Ram simply wasn't a priority in leaders' minds. Whether it was right or not, it didn't look like it would change soon.

"Alright, who wants to go with me around to see if we can find something useful?" she said and faked a smile. She tried to sound cheerful but she was failing.

Brady immediately lifted her arm and started to jump up and down. Little girl had the biggest smile on her face. She was so young everything was a game for her. Trudy wished that her daughter could forever remain so small; then she would never have to face with cruel reality of everyday struggles.

Salene quickly realized what Trudy was trying to do.

"That's a good idea. Let's get this cleaned up. Kids, go get ready. Ruby, will you …"

Amber didn't hear a word her tribe was saying. She was numb; she had already hit the bottom yet she was still falling. She could feel a piece of her dying, along with what they had had.

She felt Jay's arm around her. She wanted to push it away. She suddenly felt disgusted. _He_ hadn't done anything. Yeah, he had tried to talk to her but it all felt so forced. As if he hadn't really cared. As if he had believed it would just pass, somehow. Was he taking everything for granted?

While Lex had been yelling at her, he had done nothing but defended himself. He hadn't stepped on her side. Yet, there he was now, hugging her. What was he thinking? That she only needed him when everything was alright?

Bray had never been like that, before, in the city. He had always been there, with her, for her. He would have fought for her, till the end.

Yet now, everything was gone.

* * *

><p>Trudy sneaked away from the group when they reached the outskirts of the jungle. She felt like she had to do something. Bray and Amber weren't important only to her but to the whole tribe. Their every action affected them. This time was no different. The tension between them was hurting them all.<p>

Trudy always believed they were the only ones who could really bring the tribe together, make them strong. Without them they would somehow fell apart sooner or later. The tribe needed them more than ever. With Ebony in the jungle, the secretive Kami as a possible threat in the shadows, losing their home and the news of all who had vanished … they needed their leaders not only to decide what to do but also to inspire them to deal with everything.

But first they had to deal with each other. With danger lurking around them constantly, they had no time to spare.

Trudy found bray on the shore, staring into the endless ocean. He looked over his shoulder when he heard steps. He seemed relieved to see it was only Trudy.

"It's you," he said.

She stepped next to him.

"Bray …"

He smiled at her, weakly.

"We haven't spoken since I came back …."

Trudy and bray had known each other for a long time; they met before the virus had struck. The virus had only sealed their crossed paths forever. Trudy believed she not only owed him her life, but also her daughter's. She would have never survived nor the first months of the new world nor her pregnancy. A part of her would never stop caring for Bray; he would always remain special.

"Oh, Bray …"

They embraced. Trudy was almost as happy as Amber to have him back. She felt like the tribe was slowly reuniting.

He leant closer to her ear.

"Thank you, Trudy," he whispered.

"For what?" she responded in surprise.

"For what you did, for Amber, when I … When I …"

"Don't be stupid, Bray, that's nothing to be thankful for," she laughed, "let's call it even."

She slowly moved away from him. Light breeze coming from the ocean was playing with her hair. It was a struggle to see anything.

"It's so beautiful here …" said he, looking around, "yet it's so…"

She sighed.

"Yeah, I know how you must be feeling."

"Do you?"

"Well …"

She shook his head and looked away. She felt the wind increasing. It was hard to hear the words they spoke.

When he faced her again, she could he tears in his eyes.

"I know I'm not being fair, Trudy, but … I cannot help it …"

"You were always pretty hopeless when it came to Amber," she shrugged.

"Yeah, yeah, I was. I still am."

"I was with her, Bray, when you disappeared. It broke her, really. She tried to do what was best for your son, trying to get her life together, for your son to…"

The words were just escaping from her mouth, she couldn't control them. It almost felt like an apology. It made her feel silly but she couldn't help it.

"I know, I know ..." he said, rubbing his temples, "I am happy for her that she moved on, I really am, it's just …"

He screamed in agony. It stopped Trudy's heart; she felt so useless. She knew no matter what she would say, she couldn't make him feel better.

"He's a Techno! I know that you are all saying that he is now one of us, that he helped you, but … I cannot help it, Trudy, but I cannot see him as … as …. I'm sorry but I just can't ..."

"It's ok. All you need is some time to …"

"No! I don't need time! Because I cannot change it! I cannot change the way I feel about them! I cannot erase from my mind what they did! I can't … forgive them."

Trudy noticed dark clouds coming from the ocean. They looked threatening, the storm was probably coming. As if they didn't have enough problems already.

"Trudy ... I don't know what you know about them but … what they do …. They are monsters, Trude. People, human beings cannot do this. Not after what the adults did … how can they use technology to hurt others? We could do so much good … what drives them to kill?"

Trudy once again shrugged. What else could she do? She didn't know what to say. She knew well that the Technos were bad. They hadn't just taken people, they had killed; used them for experiments. She remembered how they had hurt Amber; abducted Jack; changed and ultimately killed Pride.

Yet it seemed like it was nothing comparing to what had Bray experienced in the camps he had been in.

"And to see one of them with her … I love her, Trudy. I love her so much it hurts … all those months … I cannot tell her but … I would be dead if it wasn't for her. Those places, they … suck all of your will out of you. It makes you wish you were dead. I wanted to die; I wanted them to kill me so that I wouldn't have to go through with it anymore, Trudy. I couldn't take it anymore … the experiments, everything, I didn't know what was happening, not even my name anymore … she was all I had left. Memories, our love. I knew it was too strong not to be real. I clung to that, to get me through. Because I couldn't let go, I couldn't just leave her, the baby …. I had to find out what had happened to them … if they lived, I wanted to see her, just one more time … and if they had died, I had to know, revenge them …"

His voice broke.

"But they hadn't! They are alive! Everything is okay, you are together now! Bray you have to let go of your hate! You cannot be free until you do that, it's going to kill you!"

"I can't, Trudy. I wish I could but I can't. What they've done … it's too much …"

"Then forgive Amber! She doesn't deserve it and neither do you! You don't wanna hate her, Bray!"

"I don't hate her, Trudy; I could never hate her … but her and … Ah! It hurts, it hurts too much to even think … she was all I had left in there. The only thing they couldn't take away from me. That was only mine. She got me through. And now … they have her too."

"But they don't have your son. Come on Bray, for him, just try to…"

"I am trying Trudy! I am trying not to just … kill that …. I try to look at her, just to look at her- you don't know how much it hurts! I wanna hate her, so badly; I want to hurt her, as much as it's hurting me. But then … it just makes me feel worse. Because I don't want to … I hate to see her like this. I want her to be happy, I want us to be family. I just want to love her …"

She could hear the thunder in the distance. It was getting closer.

She quickly wiped away some of her tears.

"Then tell her that."

"What's the point? She's not mine anymore."

"She has never stopped loving you, Bray. She will always love you. What you two have …."

"It doesn't matter. I've lost her. They have her now."

"Bray they can only take her away from you if you let them. And you are doing that right now! Why couldn't they break you when … Because, because you clung to hope. To your love. Now you're pushing her away."

"What do you want me to do, huh, Trudy?"

"I want you two to stop fighting."

"Well, I wish I had never been abducted. I wish I had never lost her. I wish we'd be together, forever. But we won't be. You don't always get what you want, Trudy."

"Not if you don't try."

"Sometimes nothing is enough."

"Don't say that! Keep the dream alive, remember?"

Thunder was no longer in the distance. It was too close, so loud she trebled. It looked like it was going to be bad. She thought of the others. She hoped they had been back already.

"Dreams change," Bray whispered.

"But people don't. I believe in you, Bray. This isn't you, all this hate. You'll get over it, you'll find a way to forgive. Someday. Somehow."

"It's good at least one of us has dreams," he said. She tried to respond but her voice got lost in a thunder. She lifted her look just as it started raining.

She felt his touch.

"Come on, Trude, let's go, we better find shelter …"

The sudden downpour made them run back to the camp.

* * *

><p>To be continued.<p>

Broughttoyouby::: misswinter.


	7. Chapter 7

_Hi, _

_Here's chapter 7 you all wanted to read as soon as possible ;). I hope it's fast enough. Thank you for all your lovely feedback, I hope you'll continue to enjoy the story. Stay tuned, I've got a feeling you'll be head over heels with the next chapter. (hm, what could it be?) I hope to have it up soon._

_Would love to hear your comments, as always._

_Enjoy, _

_missw. _

* * *

><p><em><strong>The Past, The Present and The Future<strong>_

_The Tribe fan fiction based on the wonderful A New World book by AJ Penn._

_Focused on Bramber/Jamber thing, you can also read it as the missing pages between page 363 and the epilogue._

_A note - - all characters are taken from The Tribe series and A New World novel. Nothing is mine; I just made up the storyline and the dialogues. Nothing would be possible without the wonderful masterminds behind The Tribe._

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 7<strong>

Before they got back to the Camp Phoenix, Trudy and Bray were already caught in the worst storm they had ever seen. Trudy was running a few meters ahead of him, trying to wipe raindrops from her eyes, but it wasn't much helpful.

There was a figure coming towards her. They would have crashed, if Lex hadn't reached out his hand and stopped her.

"Lex," she said in surprise.

"Who else? What are you doing out here, in this? Go to the tents; I am trying to find everybody. Where are they when you need them?"

"You mean Brady and Salene aren't back yet?" Trudy asked. She tried to ignore the wave of panic that suddenly hit her. There was nothing comfortable in a thought of her little daughter still being out in this weather.

Lex shook his head.

Bray stepped closer to Trudy.

"Don't worry, Trudy; I am sure they will be back any second. Salene can't have taken them far."

"Yeah, I've send some people to look for them," nodded Lex.

"See? Trudy, just go to the tents, we'll find them."

"I won't sit in a tent while my daughter might be lost in a jungle!" screamed Trudy. Lex rolled his eyes. Hysterical women were the only thing still missing from his today's menu.

"Fine, fine," Bray quickly said, "in which direction did they go?"

"First we went along the beach, and then we got closer to the jungle…" Trudy stammered, trying to stay calm.

"Good. I've sent Jack and Ellie that way," Lex nodded.

"OK. I'll go this way; maybe they are returning through here," Bray said and pointed towards the closest end of the jungle.

He turned to Lex.

"Keep an eye on her, OK?"

Lex already nodded, when he remembered.

"No, wait!" he screamed, but Bray didn't turn around. He carefully stepped inside the jungle.

"What am I a sanctuary for hysterical women?" Lex sighed, but there was no response. Bray had already disappeared in the jungle and Trudy ran the opposite direction, screaming her daughter's name. Stupid woman, he thought to himself, but still followed her. In her state he was convinced she would get lost even if by some miracle a trained travel guides would be showing her the way.

Bray's first steps into the jungle were easy, but soon the unknown ground, poor visibility and his still weak body got the best of him. He was slowly trudging through the thick undergrowth, trying not to trip, while his hands were searching for possible barriers in front of his face. It seemed like nothing was in order in the jungle – everything was free to grow in whatever direction it desired. Surely it must have been a magnificent sight but all Bray wanted was to find Brady and others and get out of the possible death trap.

After pushing a branch away for countless time, he stopped. He suddenly got a feeling he was walking in circles. Everything looked familiar but he quickly dismissed it, thinking the whole jungle looked the same. He continued marching through plants in every shape and color, only to stop again after a few meters.

"Salene!" he shouted and listened-

Nothing. All there was were raindrops falling, playing symphonies when hitting leaves. Had he been surrounded by animals, they wouldn't have shown. Except for buzzing insects, that was.

He looked around. He tried to walk in a straight line, but what was a straight line in a jingle?

Could he be lost? Surely it dreaded him to think so, but even a bigger horror was a thought that Salene and others had indeed got lost.

He would survive somehow; find a way out. He wasn't so sure about them, children, especially. There were so many dangers in jungle – from obvious ones, like falling and injuring yourself, to unknown species biting and plants, all so colourful and tempting and possibly lethal. Young Brady was so innocent and inexperienced; she wouldn't think twice before touching them.

He shook his head to dismiss the thoughts of death. He loved Brady as if she was his own daughter. Besides memories she was the only thing he had left from his brother. He had promised to take care of her and he wasn't prepared to break the promise. Not now, not ever. So he went on.

Time felt relative in jungle. He had no idea how much time had passed since he had departed from the base. It couldn't have been hours yet the infinity of the jungle was messing with his mind. Maybe only minutes had passed.

He cursed again when a branch he had missed hit him in the face. He saw traces of blood on his fingers after he had touching the aching spot, but he didn't care. His body was already so full of cuts; another one wouldn't make any difference.

Then he noticed branches in front of him slowly thinning, until they completely disappeared. His steps felt lighter as there wasn't so much undergrowth either. Was he nearing the edge of the jungle?

He wished it had at least stopped raining. Not only that he was wet, the ground was also turning into mud, making it even harder to continue walking. He guessed it was never really easy in the jungle.

After a few additional steps he realized it wasn't the end of the jungle, but a small clearing. A small light of hope lit in him – maybe Salene had found it too and decided to wait there, either for help or for the storm to pass?

Or were they already back, safe in the camp?

He once again felt lost.

He ran towards the clearing, looking around for any sign of his tribe.

There wasn't any.

He stopped.

"Salene! Brady!"

He listened. There wasn't any response. Not from the, at least.

He heard someone behind him. He turned around and the fatigue had disappeared. His muscles were ready to fight if necessary. He noticed a figure and just as he was about to speak up, je realized it was Jay.

"It's me," he said.

Jay. Bray had trouble thinking of another human being he would less rather be with in that moment, possibly lost in the jungle and on a ground that was slowly but surely becoming a sea of quicksand.

"You," he said, with irritation in his voice.

"Yeah. I'm looking for Salene."

Oh, did he? Bray for a moment thought Jay must have thought he was dumb. What other reason did a man have to run around the jungle in the middle of a tropical storm? Taking pictures? Or provoking death?

Or was he just trying to make conversation? They were both stuck in a jungle. It seemed like a nice start.

"Any sign of them?"

"No. I think … I think I kind of got lost."

Great. Not only that Bray strongly suspected that he was lost, now he was stuck with Jay, who was obviously convinced to be lost and therefore freaked out.

Bray sighed. He thought of simply running away, leaving Jay in a clearing, to survive either way he could. He even might not make it. Nobody would ever know. It filled Bray with a wicked satisfaction.

"I don't suppose you know how to get back?" Jay suggested with a caution in his voice. He stood at the edge of the clearing as if ready to run if needed. He still remembered what happened the last time the two of them stood so close.

"I mean, they are not in this part of the jungle, I checked."

Bray wanted to say a-ha but decided not to. He just continued to stare at Jay, knowing Jay's hair at the back of his head stood up as he did it. It was delightful to see a Techno scared. It almost made him human.

"So we could go back. They might be worried about us by now ..."

Bray stared at Jay for another long moment. He looked so pathetic it made Bray want to laugh. Maybe Jay really wasn't part of Technos anymore. His ability to get frightened for nothing might not be much of a use for them. A General, he remembered Lex saying. It sounded about right. Hiding behind a computer, fighting with a keyboard in hand. What a leader.

"Yeah, maybe we should," he finally said and turned around. "Let's go."

He sped up, walking less cautiously this time. Jay glued himself right behind Bray who could swear he felt Jay's breath on his neck. It certainly wasn't the best feeling he had experienced. In spite of knowing Jay couldn't have possibly hurt him, Bray still felt distrust. All he wanted was to get to the camp, as soon as possible. Dropping Jay off at the check point for those without orientation and going back into jungle if Salene wasn't back yet.

His thoughts inevitably drifted back to Amber. He hadn't seen her, back in camp, when Trudy and he had returned from the beach. Lex had seemed to be in control of all safety operations, Amber might have been in one of the search groups.

Or somewhere safe, with their son. Bray certainly hoped so. He had never liked Amber exposing herself to danger, not in this world they lived in. many wouldn't think twice before hurting her if there was a disagreement. She was stubborn, always defending her beliefs; often she didn't know when it was the right time to let it go.

Now when they had a son, it became even more important, her, their safety. Their son had already spent enough time being separated from one of his parents. Bray dreaded to think something might happen to Amber too. He wanted to protect him, insure she had a future with their baby. That way he would have at least one of his parents. Bray could only hope Amber was thinking the same. Subconsciously, he started to walk even faster, eager to insure safety of those he loved most.

"Bray, listen …" Jay started.

"Not now, I cannot hear you because of rain," Bray cut him off. He tried to tolerate Jay as much as he could; him keep on announcing her presence wouldn't help in any way.

Bray also became more aware of his surroundings. He tried to notice any indications he was on the right path. Everywhere he looked, he saw the same – branches, plants and more plants. He prayed this was the right way.

But Jay knew this was his chance. He wasn't a fool; he knew Bray would try to avoid him for all costs. Now they were alone, stuck together in a jungle with no other way but to keep on heading forward, together. It was probably the best chance he'd get to talk.

"I think we should talk…"

"That was diplomatic way of telling you to shut up," Bray responded, trying really hard not to snap. Jay was getting dangerously close to his trigger.

"But still, we must…"

"I mean it."

Looking around, something seemed familiar to Bray, he hoped it was a sign this ordeal would end soon.

Raining increased. It also seemed there wasn't a moment without either lighting or a thunder. He remembered the time in the Mall. They had never been worried about storms while staying there. They had been safe there.

Here, on a tropical island, in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by danger of all kind … he hoped they would get away soon. Try to find another home, somewhere where they could start building a new, better world all over again.

"I know how you must be feeling…"

Bray laughed.

"Do you? You all keep saying that. What am I, an exhibition?"

"I am sorry for what happened to you, really. I understand why you don't … like … me. Hate me, even. But I won't apologize, there's nothing for me to apologize for. I wasn't the one who locked you up, tortured, whatever. I was a Techno, I am not denying it. I believed we could do great things, build hospitals, restore power, organize some sort of a food supply system … I was willing to use force to achieve it, I thought it was worth it, even necessary. But then I realized it was leading nowhere so I dropped out."

Bray didn't respond. He had to reply Jay's words in mind first. Then he couldn't help but to laugh.

"Oh, Jay, you don't even realize it, do you? _When I realized what we were doing_ … when you realized you were killing, torturing, crippling people? Drop out, that was all you did. What about stopping the violence? Rescuing us? No, that wasn't going through the mind if Jay the Big Saint. Too scared, were we? You're a coward, Jay, nothing but a pathetic coward."

Jay didn't like the sound of Bray's words. He tried to understand the guy but there was a limit. He was getting insulting. Yes, he might have done some bad things, made some bad decisions, but he admitted it, tried to fix it and moved on. It wasn't fair to be throwing accusations into him like that,

"I don't appreciate those words…"

Suddenly Bray stopped. Without warning he turned around. It took Jay by surprise and he didn't time to back away. Before he realized, Bray's eyes were staring at him, being only a few centimetres away. All he could do was swallow hard and try to keep on his neutral face,

"I could kill you, Jay. Right here, right now. Without a problem. I want to kill you. For all you've done to my tribe, my family. But …" Bray stopped for a moment, letting words settle in Jay's mind, "I won't. I respect Amber too much and I won't let my son have a killer for a father."

As Jay stared into bray, he kind of forgot to breath. Oxygen simply wasn't a priority when faced with a possible death.

"You understand?"

Jay didn't reply. There wasn't much to say.

Without saying another word Bray turned around again and continued walking, almost running. Jay felt dizzy; he had trouble not tripping, falling over fallen plants, hiding behind the cover of rain. Bray's words lingered in his mind; he tried to dismiss them but they kept on coming back, knocking on his conscience.

Bray once again started doubting whether he was headed the right way. He considered stopping and thinking all over when he heard a noise. Noises. Whatever it was it wasn't trying to be quiet. Not an animal, then. Soon it became obvious; it was Lex. One not very happy Lex. He looked surprised to see them both, together, with both of them still having limbs.

"What is it, Lex?" Bray asked. "Did Salene come back?"

"No, they are not back yet…"

"Then why are you here?" Bray felt a wave of panic in his body. Had something happened that had driven Lex to find them? He knew it was probably nothing but the picture if Amber holding their baby flashed in front of his eyes. "Did something happen?"

"Not that I know of. Women, man … they are driving me insane! First they freaked out about him," he pointed at Jay, "some demon possessed them, making them sure he must have got lost because he hadn't been back yet. Then I told them you'd probably find him as you two were heading in the same direction and she nearly bit my head off for letting you go out alone in this weather!"

Bray had to smile. Lex complaining about women … he would never have imagined but he had missed it. Even though they had had rows in the past, he considered him for a friend.

"Now could we go back, please, before they all flee around like a bunch of frightened sheep?"

"Are we far from the camp?" Bray asked.

"Nah, just a few meters …"

It felt more than just a few meters and it took them quite a few minutes. Bray noticed the branches were getting rarer and his tired legs could finally catch a break.

Trudy jumped towards them as soon as she saw Lex.

"Have you found them?"

Then she noticed Bray. She quickly moved away from Lex and grabbed Bray's arm. He could tell how upset she was. Being a father himself he understood her feelings better than the other two. There was no feeling worse than the feeling of uselessness when your loved ones needed you. Lex had probably forbidden her from going far from the camp and especially in the jungle. Walking through it was tough and required focus. Verge of hysteria wouldn't help in any way.

He shook his head.

"Ah!" screamed Trudy. "Where are they? Why doesn't she bring them back?"

Bray out his arm on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. He tried to talk and appear as calm as he could. He knew Trudy well enough to realize she needed a rock.

"I am sure Brady is fine. She is with Salene. Salene would never do anything to hurt her. She probably recognized how bad the storm was and decided to find shelter. She didn't want to get lost in the storm."

Trudy processed his words and stopped sobbing. She slowly nodded. Lex sighed with relief. One of the problems was solved. Minus one hysterical woman was a huge step in the right direction.

"Thank you," he silently said to Bray and then stated to push them towards tents. "Now go wait in there. I don't want half of the tribe running around. Stay…"

His words were taken away by a thunder, but he didn't say them again. He estimated they were close enough to the tents to find their way in without his help. He rather turned to Jay.

"You," he said.

He liked the sound of his own voice. Like a sheriff. All he needed was a proper hat but he would probably lose it with all the crazy wind anyway so he didn't care.

"You are going with me."

* * *

><p>To be continued.<p>

Broughttoyouby::: misswinter.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Hi,**_

_**update time again. **_

_**Sorry for this being a bit late, real life can be such a pain sometimes. As always, thank you for reading, I guess that means it's not that bad.**_

_**This chapter is a bit different; I kinda got … carried away a bit? Let me know what you think about it, would really love to hear.**_

_**I hope you'll enjoy. Stay tuned, something big is on the horizon.**_

_**Missw. **_

* * *

><p><strong>The Past, The Present and The Future<strong>

**The Tribe fan fiction based on the wonderful A New World book by AJ Penn.**

**Focused on Bramber/Jamber thing, you can also read it as the missing pages between page 363 and the epilogue.**

**A note - - all characters are taken from The Tribe series and A New World novel. Nothing is mine; I just made up the storyline and the dialogues. Nothing would be possible without the wonderful masterminds behind The Tribe.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 8<strong>

Bray slowly led Trudy inside the nearest tent. When she suddenly stopped, he almost crashed into her.

"Amber," sighed Trudy.

Amber lifted her head, surprised to see Trudy. Bray got an impression she hadn't noticed him. She was the only one in the tent; only their son was sleeping calmly beside her.

"Trudy, have they…"

Trudy shook her head. Amber opened her mouth to say something but then she noticed Bray. She quickly pressed her lips together, only to open them again a moment later.

"I'm sure they're safe. With Salene …"

"I know, I know, I'm just …" said Trudy but only collapsed to the ground. She sighed really loudly. Amber carefully looked at Bray. He noticed how uncomfortable it made her feel so he quickly looked down, sat down next to Trudy and hugged her across shoulders.

Amber turned around and grabbed two blankets from a pile behind her. It must have been the headquarters of the rescue mission, Bray thought. He saw a bag with first aid kit. He smiled. Maybe Amber really wasn't out there, searching, but she was still pulling the strings, taking care of everything. Her hair was wet; maybe she was a bit too inactive for her taste. What Bray didn't know was that Amber had wanted to join the teams searching for the missing but Lex had forbidden her, sending her to take care of her son instead.

She offered blankets to Bray who took them, carefully not to touch her. He used them both to cover Trudy who was already shaking.

"You should …" she carefully started, with doubt in her voice.

"I'm fine," he quickly said. She just shrugged.

They heard some screams coming from the distance. Lex was giving teams the instructions where to go. Bray for a moment wondered about the point of it all – Salene wasn't dumb. She had probably really found shelter, just as he had assured Trudy. She and the kids were probably safer than the ones looking for them.

Everything went quiet in the tent. Nobody really wanted to talk, although both of them longed to hear the voice of the other, the sound they had so desperately missed while being apart.

They both tried to appear calm, to resist the urge to look at the other. They tried to think of the most absurd things to keep their mind of the other.

Meanwhile, Trudy's mind was speed racing.

She wasn't only concerned about her daughter; now she had found herself in the most awkward situation imaginable. She managed to get Bray and Amber together, yet they couldn't talk because she was also present. She thought of getting up and out of the tent. But they would probably think hysteria struck her again, that she wanted to go looking for her daughter, alone. They would get overly concerned about her, use her as an excuse not to talk to each other. It would only make the situation worse so she decided to simply sit still. She tried to control her breathing while focusing hard not to explode.

It was so obvious; everyone could see it except for them. You didn't have to be a trained spy to see their looks towards each other, the looks they so desperately tried to hide. Their eyes searched the other's face, body, as to see what had changed since the last time they had been together. At the same time, subconsciously, their lips formed a smile; no matter how much they wanted to deny it, they were thrilled to be around each other. The other's presence made their heart racing, their minds were bombed by a billion of memories and butterflies took off in their stomachs. It brought them peace, happiness, safety. Trudy could read from their eyes, their longing, their desire to run to the other, to unite in a kiss; run barefoot across the sandy beach, holding hands; stare together into the sunset.

Trudy had no doubt. They were as much in love as always. Yet they let silly and pointless circumstances drive them away from the most important thing – their love. It was nothing new, really. They loved each other so much it had always made them crazy.

She guessed it was that kind of love; the love her mother had told her about way back, when Trudy had been a little girl. The one so powerful that it hurt. The one strong two couldn't be apart no matter how much they tried. You could use chains to break them apart but love would always find a way to reunite. Because being apart wasn't an option. Through distance and time, it would bring them back together, to each other.

The real love.

The time that had passed, it didn't matter. Nothing had changed. Their love was eternal, immune to their pointless attempts at rationalisation. She just hoped they would realize it to. It was tiring, worthless fighting.

Bray rubbed her back.

"It's going to be OK, Trude," he said, "you'll see."

Amber nodded; she decided not to speak. His presence occupied her mind too much to focus on comforting Trudy.

She noticed a deep cut on Bray's cheek. He didn't know, but she could see the blood was still oozing.

"You've got…"

Bray turned to her, surprised. He didn't know what she meant; but more than that was because of the fact she had spoken to him. He could feel his stomach practising gymnastic.

The before-hidden pain reappeared and he could feel aching in his face. His fingers reached for the wound, only to get blood spread all over them.

"Leave it, I'll…"

She leant towards a first aid kit and grabbed a small towel. With shaky hand she got closer to Bray who only stared at her, with his mouth slightly open. He felt unable to comprehend it was actually happening. She, from all people, so close to him. Only days ago he had believed he would never see her again.

And yet, there she was, so close he could feel her breath. The closer she got, the more beautiful she looked.

He didn't mean to back away when the towel touched his open wound. It ached so hard it felt like they were marking him again. In self-defence his body jumped back, only causing him more pain. He broke off their contact, the one he so desperately desired. He would change it if could, but it was too late, the moment had passed. He could spot hurt in Amber's eyes. As it had been the final proof for her that he didn't want her anymore. That it was over for him.

Trudy's brain centre for self-control was spinning insanely fast and ticking. It got worryingly close to blowing up when the voices appeared again. At first she couldn't understand them at first, but she managed to identify one as Lex's.

"… Back!" he screamed, "Trudy, where are you?"

Trudy jumped up instantly. Her mind immediately got swept with images of her precious daughter.

"Brady!" she shouted and ran out of the tent, into the wild night to embrace her little daughter.

The baby boy moved slightly but his eyes remained closed. Almost as if in his short but traumatic life he had already gotten used to shocks of all kind and one screaming auntie Trudy was nothing worth paying attention to.

Amber's and Bray's eyes met again but only for a short moment. She then dropped the towel and moved back, away from him, closer to their sleeping son.

She swallowed hard. He wasn't feeling much better. It felt like something in him was burning. She was there, right in front of him, but he had spoilt it. Not only this moment but every single one they would ever share. Three words, it had been all it took. Three words he hadn't thought through before saying them. Three words, a complete lie. Lies. There had always been lies, everytime they had been together. They always managed to creep between them, break them apart. Somehow they always ended up falling to pieces. Maybe they just weren't meant to be.

"I would expect you to be out there, looking for them," he finally said.

"Lex said he'd take care of it," she whispered quickly. Her hand fell gently upon their baby. It was the sight he had longed for all those months in captivity. It felt better than he had ever imagined. Looking at them, he finally felt like he was home.

"He's asleep?"

"Safe and sound."

"He looks so much like you," Bray smiled, "he's got your eyes."

"No," she said, while still looking at the sleeping boy. She gently touched his little hands but then finally looked at Bray. She smiled. "He's just like you."

It was the first time they looked at each other without angst or hurt in their eyes. There was respect, happiness, peace, love; just as it was supposed to be.

This was how it was meant to be, Bray couldn't help to think. Maybe it wasn't all lost after all; maybe there was still a chance. It ought to be. What had been the point of them ever being together, loving each other, if it was all about to end, so abruptly?

"Amber…"

The thunder struck again and inevitably their minds drifted back to a night, a long way back. They had been reunited in love that night, after lies had pulled them apart. It felt so ironic, like déjà vu. There it was again. But the abyss felt much deeper this time.

"I hope everyone is safe," stammered Amber, clearly drifting in thoughts she couldn't escape. There was no way to deny it – no matter what had happened between them, what he had said, there was a part of her that couldn't stay away. She didn't want to stay away, no matter how much it hurt. She was like a careless child, always running towards attractive danger, never learning her lesson.

"Those words … I wish I could take them back."

"Well, you can't. You'll have to live with them. And so will I."

They were just three silly words. How could they affect something as strong as their love? Overcome their feelings? Love was supposed to be stronger than words.

"Amber..."

She just didn't want to admit to herself that it was.

Much stronger.

"What do you think, huh, Bray? That I wanted this to happen? If I could have chosen, I would have picked you, me, our baby, we would be together, forever and everything would be fine. But I wasn't choosing and nothing is happily ever after. This is not a fairy-tale, this is our world. Nothing is perfect."

Maybe she couldn't see it but it was right in front of Bray's eyes.

"It is," he said, "there is something perfect."

"Oh yeah? What?"

"Love."

She shook her head.

"And look where it led us! Now we … hate each other!"

"I don't hate you, Amber."

Lying. Denying. It was the only other option she had. Either that or giving in to the growing feeling of love. She knew she had never stopped loving him. She couldn't have, not after he had been so violently pulled out of her life. She had known she would love him, forever, cherish what they had had, and never forget. But she would never have guessed the feeling could come back stronger than ever. It was as if it had been still, only hiding somewhere deep inside her, waiting, without her knowledge growing, evolving. Now it was thriving in beauty and strength she had never imagined.

But she couldn't give in. not after he had said. Those words had hurt too much; it would be a road to self – destruction.

She felt dizzy from resisting. She couldn't think straight anymore. It was too much.

"No? I certainly got an impression you did."

"Amber..."

He looked at her. There was no doubt about what he was going to say. Words that made her heart sing, so loud, race, so fast, spin, so uncontrollably. She feared her body wouldn't be able to handle it; such an overdose, out of nowhere, after what felt like century of drought and hunger.

_No_, she prayed. _No, don't say it, don't._

If they had a mental connection, now was the time to start its engines.

" .. I love you …"

She tried to take deep breaths, to control herself, give her body something to focus on. But his eyes, they were so tempting. As if she was Eve and he was her forbidden apple of desire. Her demise. Her heart was now in a front seat of her life; her mind had slipped away.

She had to stop it while she still could. While she was still there, not in his embrace, giving in to a certain hurricane of an even bigger confusion and regret. She had to think ahead, not get lost in this current paradise of lust.

"And yet you find me disgusting. What a weird love."

"Amber…"

There were noises again in the distance. Too distant for her to even think of using them as a way out, but then they seemed to be approaching. They got too close, too loud, spoiling her emotional surrender.

She moved her eyes off him when it hit their tent. She was surprised to see Jay's soaked image behind Bray's invisible halo.

"Oh," he said, obviously not pleasantly surprised at seeing them together in a tent, alone.

"Everything OK?" she asked, not really trying to bury the hostility in her voice. The banks of her self-control had sunk in a flood of her suppressed feelings.

Jay seemed like an unwanted intruder of the moment. Her mind knew he was her boyfriend, her present companion in love. She should have invited him in, kissed him, let Bray know she didn't need his indecisiveness any longer. She had someone new who would never dare to say to her was that she disgusted him.

But her heart knew Jay wasn't the one. The one who made her heart sing the rock choruses of love, dance to the disco beats of desire and race around in pure passion. He was what kept her content, intrigued her enough not to drown in misery. She should have felt bad for using him like that, chewing him out of boredom and spitting her out when her senses perceived the presence of the one.

But she didn't. Her department of emotion was overloaded.

She just wanted him to go.

"Yeah, yeah. We brought Salene and others back."

"We know," she impatiently said. She knew it was too obvious but she crossed the line of caring.

"Bray was right; they were in a shelter, waiting for the storm to be over…"

"Do they need anything?"

"No, no, everything is fine."

"Well, that's certainly nice to hear."

Jay's mind tried to figure out what exactly was happening. He felt something was going on but he couldn't point his finger on. Was his mind making him anxious for nothing, only using his fear of losing Amber, now that Bray was back? It certainly didn't look like anything was going on, they were both … decent.

"We're putting BJ to sleep," Amber said when Jay continued to stand there, as if he was convinced this was a party for three and he had been invited.

"He looks to be asleep."

"We were successful."

"Ah … OK."

"Does someone need a blanket or something? She was getting irritated. There weren't many polite was to tell Jay to leave left.

"No, no."

"Then what are you doing, standing in the rain?"

Bray was for a second convinced he was going to say he didn't know. The glee was just one of the vehicles on the highway of feelings he was experiencing. It surpassed his moral codex; it was so bad it actually felt right.

"I was just checking whether you were alright …"

"Well I am fine and so is the baby."

There was a weird aura around Amber, Bray could feel it. It surprised him; he had no idea what it was. He usually had her figured out but now he was in a dark. It didn't feel like hurt anymore. She certainly wasn't pushing him away. He felt … drawn to her. Something in her eyes, something hidden …

So much time had passed. Things had changed, he couldn't be sure of anything anymore.

"Ah, OK. Then I will just…"

He looked at Bray once more and then glanced back to Amber. It seemed like a weird thought had invaded his mind. Without any other obvious gesture he turned around and walked away.

Amber's eyes embraced Bray's face again.

Jay's unexpected visit might have been just what she needed. A welcomed break, an opportunity to catch her breath, tame her newly waken temptations. She felt calmer, more in control.

"I am glad you left him in one piece," she said.

He grinned.

"I just told you I love you and you thank me for not dissecting your boyfriend?"

Her boyfriend. She might have been a bit too harsh. The problem wasn't in Jay, it was in her. She was the drifter; unable to commit to Jay because her heart belong to someone else.

"Bray, I cannot lie to you. I cannot tell you I never felt anything for the guy. That I don't feel anything for him."

"And he certainly seems to have a strong affection for you too."

She rolled her eyes. He always got sarcastic when she was on radar of another guy. She couldn't help but to find it annoying and incredibly flattering at the same time. It gave her giggles of a high school girl.

"You always had your moments."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Judging him before getting to know him just because he's a Techno. But I guess it's a guy thing, right? Like it was with Sasha?"

"I am sorry I wasn't there to witness the 5-star luxury program they gave you back in the city. What did it include, again?"

"Medicine. Electricity. Food."

"Ah, and taking some of us in a process. Such a great hosts, weren't they? And then they got bored and throw you out?"

"Jay wasn't with them anymore."

"Oh, right. He was with you, right?"

How could it be? One moment she was surfing on a tsunami of ecstasy and in the next caught in a net of a spider of guilt. She had said she was sorry; but unless he gave her time machine for a Christmas gift, she couldn't fix it.

"Just tell me one thing, Bray. Will you ever get over a fact that Jay is a Techno?"

He didn't answer at first. He couldn't. Bray knew what she was asking him. The answer wasn't only about Jay but also about accepting her, her beliefs, her actions.

He wanted to lie, prevent the answer from sealing their future. But he couldn't. He loved her and wanted to be honest with her. Honesty could be a pain but he knew it was the right thing. It led to trust, the foundation of hope one day she would be his again. Ironically, this time it could also forever throw her on the opposite line of the road called life.

"No", he said, "over a Techno, no."

Had it hurt her, she didn't show it. She only bit her lower lip and nodded.

"OK. Fine. I am glad this is clear. Although it is sad."

"What?"

"That the hate for the Technos means you more than your son. And I, despite saying you love me."

Her words puzzled him. He knew he was supposed to read something between the lines but it kept slipping away.

"You don't love me, Bray. You love who I used to be; an image you idealised in your mind. But I am not that person anymore. I was forced to change. It's in nature, like evolution. If you cannot accept that, then, I am sorry but this is it."

She wanted to throw herself at him, let him love her the way only he could. But she knew solely passion wouldn't last. It would only mean putting off the inevitable end. It couldn't last, not when they lived in two different periods of time. Food is enough to get you by, but what is life if it is only surviving, not evolving, creating, feeling both hate and love, fulfilling? Better not even start when it would only bring you bigger destruction. She loved herself, him, what they had way too much to let it happen.

Things might change one day, life is, after all, one gigantic roulette. One day cards would work for them, for what they both wanted so badly.

But until then, all they had was their son, a reminder of the past they had shared and a dream of a better future. They would cling to their love; it was bound to happen, one day, somehow.

It hurt her but she knew it was the right thing for both.

A sudden blow of wind shook their tent but it passed as quickly as it came. Based on screaming and sounds of falling not all tents had been so lucky.

She sighed. This island was, after all, far from paradise.

"I'll go see if they need help…" Bray said, git up and disappeared into the night. She knew he wouldn't come back.

She turned back to her son. She had to believe he would be the one keeping them together, until … until it was time.

She smiled as a single tear fell from her eye.

* * *

><p>To be continued.<p>

Broughttoyouby:: misswinter.


	9. Chapter 9

I know, I know, I took way too much time with this ;) school's been crazy lately, sorry for the long wait. Glad to know you enjoyed the latest chapter. :D

This one is a short one; actually it is only a set up for something really really big. I don't think all of you will like it but I assure you it is going to be big. Even friends who don't know much about TT were touched by it.

I would like to use this chance to invite you to check out **Delena Bramber Club**, an online group dedicated to supporting your favorite fictional couples. If you ever want to talk about any of them, or just wanna talk in general, we're the right place ;) . Just google the name, it should be one of the first hits (the forum one).

Back to the story, I hope you will continue to enjoy it. Not many chapters to go now. As always, I am looking forward to reading your comments.

love, missw.

_PS: don't bite your nails too much; it's no good :D_

* * *

><p><strong>T<strong>he **P**ast, **T**he **P**resent and **T**he **F**uture

_The Tribe fan fiction based on the wonderful A New World book by AJ Penn._

_Focused on Bramber/Jamber thing, you can also read it as the missing pages between page 363 and the epilogue._

A note - - all characters are taken from The Tribe series and A New World novel. Nothing is mine; I just made up the storyline and the dialogues. Nothing would be possible without the wonderful masterminds behind The Tribe.

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 9<strong>

If Ebony wanted to rate her day, it would easily got a negative mark. Not just this day; all of the recent days had been a complete disaster. Maybe a word disaster was even too decent. Nothing was right – everything that could go wrong, had gone wrong. It felt so surreal she had to pinch herself to believe it was actually happening.

She was stuck in a jungle. She had stopped counting for how many days already. She was always bad with numbers and they made her depressed.

Everything started with Blake trusting her to carry out the mission properly. It seemed so easy. Mallrats were weak and they didn't see them coming. Perfect surprise – quick and clean was what she expected. To look around, down on them, poor souls, struggling to get by while she had succeeded. She was somebody, again, just what she had always meant to be. She was better than them, she had no doubt.

Yet … somehow they ended up in a container, locked up. But that wasn't so bad; they managed to get out of it, of course. They couldn't keep them in there. She was like a cat, always finding a way out. When she and Blake's men ran back into the heartless jungle; that was when things started to go downhill.

Soon they heard voices. It was them whose faces she had seen back at Blake's base.

Bray was one of them.

It was one of the biggest shocks she had even gotten. Last time she had seen him, he had been tied up, unable to move, yet alone to escape. How had he got here?

But it wasn't just Bray. It was … all off them. What had happened, osme massive break out?

On Blake's watch? You couldn't sneeze without him knowing it.

So they had to have help.

The Mallrats.

She said their name as if it was a bad word. Somehow they always managed to ruin her plans. Her nemesis, the eternal nemesis they were. So thought they were pathetic, their quest for a better world, full of empty promises and blindness. It couldn't work. it hadn't worked for the adults, why would it for them? They were, after all, grandchildren of their ancestors. It was in their blood, power and chaos, the only way.

But they were too dumb to understand.

So how come they always won? What did they have that she lacked? Where was she wrong?

She was certain the Mallrats had been the ones letting the prisoners out. Why did Blake allow it? He surely hadn't just opened the door, invited them in and set the table for the big escape?

What had happened to him?

She knew they hadn't killed him. Mallrats had never killed anyone. It wasn't democratic. Cowards.

Something must have gone terribly wrong, she concluded along with Axel. However, they couldn't reach the decision on what to do next. So they stayed in the jungle, waiting for the big enlightening.

She dreaded heading back but she wouldn't admit it for nothing in the world. Blake wouldn't be very happy. The loss of the prisoners must have enraged him. If he had lived to see it, that was. Her returning, with delay and failure under her belt, nah, there was no way for a positive outcome for her. She fought hard against going back – who knew if ''there'' even still existed. Too many mysteries, they were a red light for Ebony.

But eventually Axel won.

They would head back. They were warriors and they had to return. They were loyal to Blake and felt that the mission couldn't be completed without going back. Her arguments about almost certain Blake's demise didn't find a way into their ears. She felt like she was with Mallrats all over again.

They agreed on at least one thing – they couldn't go back empty handed. They had to have some sort of a success.

And Ebony knew just what they needed.

A baby.

If Blake lived, that would be a way for him to revenge.

If he had died, that would be the way to celebrate his life.

Not to mention it would be a perfect fix or her too. Something she could dwell on for a long long time.

It felt good just thinking about it.

She turned her attention back to Axel. He and some other guy, she didn't care for his name, were trying to identify their exact location and estimate how far they were from the Mallrats' camp.

They were in their second temporary base. They had had to leave the first one, after a severe storm. They had heard screams way too close for comfort. Ebony hadn't wanted to reveal herself, not back then. She had first needed a plan.

And now she had one.

And it was time.

"OK. We're probably half an hour away," Axel finally said. She rolled her eyes. An hour they had wasted on that? She couldn't care less about how far they were. She just wanted to get the hell out of the place. She smelt, bad, her hair was a mess; she was tired, hungry and angry. She had even stopped killing the mosquitos around her; not even a spider on her leg could freak her out. She was so sick of it.

"Good. Let's go."

"What about him?" one of the guys asked and pointed at Ram.

Ram certainly had had better days too. He had been beaten hard during the first days of his captivity. Axel had gone a little bit too far in his quest to settle down anger of defeat. Ram had told them what he had named all he knew about the rescue plan in Blake's base. Ebony had had no hope of him telling anything useful, but she had let the boys have some fun. She had hoped it would kill some of the tension between them.

After a few days even Axel had realized Ram couldn't tell whether their leader was dead or alive so Ram's body got a chance to heal. It still hurt but he was alive.

"What about him?" she asked.

"We leave him here or take him with us?"

Ebony considered him for a moment.

"We'll take him with us. But that kid's a priority. We take him first. This one only if there's place. The kid's the price."

Men nodded.

So they departed towards the Camp Phoenix. Ebony didn't say it out loud it felt more than just a half an hour. Axel didn't give an impression he wanted to chat over a cup of latte. Ram had collapsed after a few meters so Axel had to drag him along.

"If we leave this guy here," said one of the guys, "will Blake really be happy to have only that kid?"

"Oh, he will after I tell him my plan," she said. Of course she refrained herself from saying that Blake would most likely never heard of it as he was probably already singing in a choir in heaven. She also didn't mention that it was mostly her way to get back at Mallrats. They might not understand but she needed their help. She couldn't do it alone.

Men just shrugged. Blake, their admired commander, had told them to obey Ebony's orders. So they did, no questions asked.

A smell of a roasted meat swam into their noses. They had to be close.

She stopped.

"I'll get through it again," she said. "I'll go first but stay close to the jungle just in case I see this won't work. You wait for my signal. Then go after men, they will resist, not women. They won't see it coming. After I have the kid, we're out of here. If there's no trouble, we take him too. If they are, we leave him. Understood?"

They nodded. They were Blake's men, she thought. He must have trained them for something more difficult. Snatching a baby should be a piece of cake for them.

"Good. Tie his wrists and cover his mouth he might want to alarm them."

* * *

><p>Ebony was right. Mallrats never saw it coming.<p>

The storm had continued for a couple of days, although not in such a severe form. There had been some downpours and the sun had been playing hide and seek, but the wind had calmed down. It took them one morning to pick up things, fix the tents, dry their clothes and then everything fell back into an everyday routine. They had no idea danger was looking at them from only a few meters away. Any sounds coming out of the jungle were dismissed, believed to be from an animal or a falling tree. Ebony wasn't even in the back of their minds.

It was right after lunch. Most of the tribe went down to the beach, to enjoy either sun or warm ocean. Few stayed at the centre of the camp.

Trudy had got sunburn the day before so decided to take it easy. Brady stayed too as all of her favourite people minus Ellie who had sneaked away along with Jack hadn't gone. She spent the majority of time with her uncle Bray. He could do tricks the others couldn't. And she couldn't get enough of them.

Amber had wanted to check their supplies, but concentrating with Bray so close to her was mission impossible. They still hadn't talked after that night. She wished they had. She understood his silence as a conformation that it wasn't the right timed. But whether he was going to warm up to Jay, even a little, still remained a mystery.

Jay stayed too, of course. He still hadn't figured out what was going on between Amber and Bray. It was driving him insane but he hadn't said a word. He had believed him being near Amber would prevent or at least temporarily stop whatever was happening. So he stayed.

Lex was the only one feeling the unease. He didn't know why, but it was there. Others would simply blame it on the still unresolved issues between Bray and Amber but he wasn't convinced. So he stayed too. If not else, to prevent Jay from suffering any life-long injuries in case Bray snapped again. He appeared calmer but you were never too sure.

It was pretty quiet, only Brady's occasional scream of excitement or applause cut through the silence. Amber and Trudy had at first been talking but as Amber was apparently lost in thoughts, Trudy eventually stopped talking too. It didn't seem like Amber even noticed. She stared in front of her and occasionally looked at her son who was sleeping a few feet away from her.

* * *

><p>It was better Ebony had even dared to hope. Axel and she moved away from the group to assess the situation and she could hardly contain her excitement at seeing the scene of the future crime. Almost perfect. The mallrats – or whatever was still left of them – were outnumbered. She knew they were no match to Blake's trained forces, the professionals. This time it couldn't fail, she was sure.<p>

Based on her position, Amber and Trudy were sitting on the ground, left if her and Axel. Daydreaming, Ebony thought. The kid would be an easy prey, close to Amber but she was currently playing a role of ta bad mother so a small distraction should be enough.

Of all three men Jay was the closest. He was lying on his belly; his chin was resting in his folded arms. Ebony despised her former lover; his puppy eyes were focused on Amber and a strange mix of ecstasy and confusion assured her not even a nuclear explosion would bring Jay back to the land of the quality living. He was no threat; plus, she knew he wasn't much of a fighter.

But Lex and Bray were.

Lex was next to the fire, slowly eating a banana. He had his occasional moments of weakness but Ebony knew better than underestimate him. He was probably their biggest danger; Bray still appeared to be weak. The decision was made – Lex would be the first one to be informed of the severity of the attack.

Bray was the one sitting on the opposite side of the camp. Far from the kid too and Ebony had to try really hard not to begin drooling; so perfect everything was. Trudy's daughter was with Bray. He was a good humanitarian, he would stay with her, try to protect her; not run to Lex to help him.

It would be over before they would even realize what was happening.

They returned to the others. They decided to leave Ram with one of the warriors; he could be even left alone tidied wrists and aching body he didn't need a nanny. But as they had some extra men, they could afford some luxury.

They would send to warriors to Lex, just to be sure. One to Jay and another two for Bray; one to grab the girl if she caused troubled. One would stay behind with Ram; that left Ebony and Axel. She would grab their future golden coin and he would take care of the women. Looking at her men, all so tall, strong, and trained, Ebon had trouble thinking of anything that could potentially go wrong. It was rim for luck to finally sail back towards her.

* * *

><p>With roles memorized they separated and approached their targets. Ebony and Axel waited to make sure everyone was in their position before giving out the signal.<p>

It all seemed OK. She opened her mouth when …

The corner of her eye caught a glimpse of Gel. With short steps yet hurriedly, with arms floating around her she stepped right into the middle of Camp Phoenix. She sat down next to Lex and removed some hair form her face.

"Ah!" she exclaimed, "look at my hair! A complete mess!"

Ebony turned to Axel.

_This can't be happening._

He appeared calm.

_It's nothing. Look at her. We can handle it._

She decided to believe him. He was, after all, more experienced in fighting than she was. She doubted Gel's perfectly painted nails could be a match with their iron fists.

"Sammy is such a pain. You won't believe it! I was sitting on a beach, minding my own business when he ran towards me and spilt water on me! On my hair! And Salene was just laughing! Laughing! Look at what he did to my hair! I demand he is…"

"Now!" Ebony screamed as loud as she could.

* * *

><p>To be continued.<p>

Broughttoyouby::: misswinter.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi all,**

**here it is! I hope the wait wasn't too long. ;) **

**Thank you for reading, nice to know you wanna read more. This time I would REALLY REALLY love to hear your thoughts.**

**I will try to update soon.**

**Hope you'll enjoy.**

**missw.**

**_PS: things are never as bad as they seem to be._ **

* * *

><p><strong>T<strong>he **P**ast, **T**he **P**resent and **T**he **F**uture

_The Tribe fan fiction based on the wonderful A New World book by AJ Penn._

_Focused on Bramber/Jamber thing, you can also read it as the missing pages between page 363 and the epilogue._

A note - - all characters are taken from The Tribe series and ANew Worldnovel. Nothing is mine; I just made up the storyline and the dialogues. Nothing would be possible without the wonderful masterminds behind The Tribe.

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 10<strong>

"Now!" screamed Ebony on the top of her lungs.

Her scream echoed thorough the camp. Everyone looked up, puzzled. At first they didn't understand what it was about. They realized even too soon.

Lex felt an arm grabbing him. He jumped forward and turned. He found himself facing two men, dressed the same as those he had been fighting on the oil rig.

He didn't know what was happening but they didn't really give him any chance to theorize.

Jay felt a sudden pain in his rib cage. He rolled to his left and then on his back. His arms approached the hurting spot when his eyes noticed a large figure standing next to him, looking down on him. This can't be good, he thought.

The corner of Bray's eyes noticed how Lex suddenly jumped up but before he could do anything, Brady screamed. He turned to her, only to see her standing completely still, frightened. Her big eyes looked as if they were facing the pure horror. She was staring at something behind him. He looked over his shoulder and faced a guy whose fist stood ready to fly across Bray's face.

Gel shut up the moment Lex started fighting. It was so close to her that she froze. Only when Lex fell to the ground, she somehow woke. She started backing away, while still looking the men.

Men assigned to stop Lex weren't sure about what to do with her. Ebony had told them to only distract Lex; a girl wasn't their concern. But they were professionals, trained to do their job well.

One of them noticed how she was slipping away.

"Hey, you!" he shouted, "stop!"

His eyes broke off his target when he looked at Gel. Lex knew it was his chance. He stopped fighting and focused on the weaker one. With all his power je leapt towards him, into his knees, making him lose balance. The guy tripped and fell backwards. Sheer coincidence wanted that his head crashed into the medicine kit and knocked him unconscious.

Lex felt proud, knocking a guy down while being on the ground. But it really wasn't the best time to open up the bottle of champagne, with one man still standing. The loss of his partner certainly wouldn't make him any friendlier towards Lex.

Jay's predator was the closest of all remaining Blake's men and he heard his companion's head hitting something hard. He looked up; Jay didn't know whether it was out of concern or interest, but he didn't care. His survival instinct kicked in and he started creeping away. He knew staying in the centre of the camp was a suicide mission so he took cover in the thick jungle's undergrowth.

The guy didn't even notice Jay was gone. His eyes collided with Gel. Nobody was apparently focused on her; free as a wind she was disappearing. The guy realized she wouldn't bring them anything good if she indeed went towards the beach. Alarming other Mallrats; they weren't ready to face them all so the guy jumped forward, towards Gel. He grabbed her around her waist and she screamed.

"Quiet," he said and began dragging her towards the edge of the jungle.

Of a duo assigned to Bray only one was fighting. The other one kept the low profile in the bushes, ready to interfere if Bray would appear to be a match.

The little girl seemed to be no problem. She continued staring in horror.

As the rest of them, Amber and Trudy looked up as the scream filled the camp. Amber frowned and turned to her friend.

"Who the hell…." She started but couldn't finish. Blake's men flooded the camp and the fronts opened.

Trudy froze. It came. The day came. They came to get them.

The horror of realization stopped her heart and everything went dark in front of her eyes. But her motherly instinct kicked in.

Amber didn't understand anything. Who the men were, what they wanted and why. It looked like an organized attack - going after the men first.

Ebony, her mind said. It must have been her. She felt dumb – she should have seen it coming. But she had been so caught in the net of conflicting emotions towards Bray that she failed to predict it.

Her eyes searched for him. He was fighting, hard. A wave of concern drowned her. He was still weak and the guy appeared to be enormous. He was swinging punches towards Bray without mercy. Bray was fighting back; he was a fighter, he never gave up. But she could see blood on his face. He couldn't stand still anymore. The guy didn't slow down he was like a robot.

It didn't look good and she screamed out his name, frightened and worried.

Jay heart sank when he saw a guy dragging Gel towards jungle, towards him. He tried to hide himself, but he had nowhere to go. He started creeping underneath the plants but he got some dirt into his eyes. His body shut down, waiting for instructions as to what to do next. He forgot his leg was still looking out f his hiding place, out of bushes out in the open. Easy to spot.

But a man s dragging a screaming girl by himself, and her screams were inhumanly loud. They made him fail to notice Jay's leg.

He fell too; the weight of his body hitting the ground woke Jay. He listened but there were no more steps. So he slowly crept out. What he saw was Gel leaning over the guy, with what looked like a robe in her hand.

"Help me!" she exclaimed when she noticed him.

Trudy's eyes turned to her daughter. She was standing a few feet away from Bray; all alone. In danger.

"Brady!" she screamed, got up and ran towards her little girl. Mother's terrified scream seemed to wake Brady from her state. She stopped looking at her uncle Bray and turned around.

"Mommy!" she cried out and she too started running. A moment later Trudy embraced her daughter, throwing arms around her, not willing to let anyone take her away.

"Take care of her," whispered Ebony to Axel. He nodded and stepped forward, out of the jungle, exposing himself. She stood still, knowing the moment was coming.

Lex wasn't giving in; he continued to swing punches at the guy. They were both bleeding but Lex refused to let pain stop him.

Bray suddenly felt his opponent getting weaker. He felt exhausted and paralyzing pain was back. But he wasn't about to surrender. Functioning solely on his strong will he gathered the strength in one hit. He screamed when he transformed all of the energy into that one hit.

And the guy was knocked out of balance.

He hit him again.

And the guy fell to the ground.

Few kicks were enough. The guy stopped moving.

Bray turned around. And he saw him, standing behind her.

Amber felt like nothing was real. As if it was all a dream. It felt surreal, the sound. All she could really gear was her own breathing.

She looked to her left, to her baby. He was still asleep. No one was around.

She felt torn. A part of her wanted to run to Bray. She couldn't lose him. Not now when he had only come back to her. It was supposed to be a new start. She knew she couldn't handle the pain again; her soul breaking. She had to help him.

But she knew she had to stay with their baby. Bray would want her to; their baby was more important than them. He didn't seem to be in danger. But she didn't want to risk it. She wanted to step closer to their sleeping son, lift him and run away with him in her arms.

Bray started running.

"Amber!" he screamed on the top of his lungs.

Trudy hugged her daughter protectively. She pulled her closer while looking around. She expected to see men running towards them. Trudy was ready t fight. She would never let the psychos win.

But nobody came closer. One kept fighting with Lex. Nobody even looked at her. They didn't seem to care.

It didn't feel right. Something was wrong.

She looked around again, this time also over her shoulder. And she saw him too.

A guy in the bushes cursed. His partner fell down and their target stated running towards the baby. It wasn't part of the plan; he couldn't let it happen.

He jumped out of his cover, passed the woman with the girl and crashed full force into Bray. He managed to knock him on the ground. They were too close to succeeding to let him ruin it.

Bray's terrified scream pierced through Amber's ear. Her heart froze and she immediately turned to him. The fear numbed her. What would she see? Her lover fall to the found, screaming her name in deadly horror, realizing it was the end? Did he try to tell he, one last time; was it the last time she would ever hear his voice? She felt dizzy; she could feel tears filling her eyes.

She saw him, he was running towards her. But there was a guy behind him; he followed him with the look of an enraged animal. She realized Bray didn't know he was being followed; a guy looked as he was willing to kill.

"Bray!" she screamed to warn him but he fell to the ground before she could do anything. Tears ran down her face and she didn't see Trudy turning towards her; she didn't hear her scream either.

She wanted to scream out his name once more but then cold, unknown arms grabbed her around her waist. She tried to fight them off but they only squeezed her tighter.

"I'm not messing around," Axel said.

She didn't care. She felt panic taking over her body and she screamed again, this time in horror. She tried to kick him off but it didn't seem to work. She kept on trying; finally the grip loosened. For a moment she thought she could get away, but she was faced with reality when he slapped her across her face. It was so sudden and so violent she fell to the ground; face first, without being able to scream.

Bray saw it. He was trying to get the large man off him while his eyes were still with Amber. He felt horror suffocating his heart. They had her, gain. They wanted to hurt her. And here he was again, unable to help her.

It caused Bray so much pain it made him stronger. Extreme situations always brought the extremes out of people, made them do amazing things. He loved her too much to simply watch her being dragged away from him again. He clenched his teeth and somehow managed to throw the guy to the ground.

This time he didn't make sure the guy was passed out. He didn't care about himself, he just wanted to ensure her, the baby's safety. He'd give his life if that was what it took.

"Get away from her!" he yelled, but it didn't stop Axel. He bent, grabbed her again, and lifted her only to drop her back to the ground.

"I told you I'm not messing around!" he screamed.

A guy that stayed behind with Ram was observing the drama from their hiding place. He hadn't moved, just as he had been instructed.

It didn't look good. Things seemed to be out of control. He had been trained to obey orders; but he was also a team player. Those guys were his family and he couldn't let him continue dropping like flies, losing. Ram wouldn't go anywhere either way.

He knelt down to his prisoner.

"Don't mo..."

Ram was often portrayed as a selfish individual who only cared about himself. He was even heartless on occasions.

But lately he had been noticing changes. His technologically- programmed brain weren't able to explain them, but also they couldn't deny them. It might have been because up until now he had always been somehow separated from the rest; a superior in his own super league.

But since his defeat he had been forced into interactions with others. It looked like he actually really had some social skills after all, buried under tons of insecurities and superstitions. He actually enjoyed company. He began to understand what they were saying all along – that no matter how advanced a computer was, it would never be able to replace genuine feelings.

He had gotten stronger, in days since his beatings; he just hadn't wanted to show it to Ebony. It would only bring trouble.

Based on screams coming from the camp Mallrats were losing. He couldn't understand it, but he desperately wanted to help them.

And he found a way.

A guy who tied him up apparently had missed some hours in the ''how to tie up your enemy'' class. He messed something up and Ram had no big problems freeing himself.

He had waited though. He wanted the right moment.

And now it came.

He threw his body forward, making the guy fall. Then he quickly, while his capturer was still in shock, picked up the robe and started tying him up.

Amber fell down again and let out a scream. She didn't beg for mercy; she knew Axel didn't have any.

She looked up, to her baby. Sounds had woken him up and he was crying.

"No!" she screamed. Once again she tried to free herself but it only brought more pain. Desperate, she looked around, hoping to find something that might help her.

She saw boots, very close to her face. Her heart stopped. What were they going to do with her? And with their baby?

"Oh, Amber," the person said, sounding content. "You will never learn, will you?"

The person leant above her and Amber recognized the face. Ebony's features were obvious even through the layer of dirt.

"Ebony…" she said, struggling to breath.

"Stay out of my business! What do I need to do to make you get it?"

Ebony looked at the guy who was still holding Amber, pushing her to the ground. Amber felt he started to lift her. For a second she thought it was over; that they would talk, find a resolution.

But Ebony was right. She should have learnt her lesson a long time ago. Ebony simply wasn't a nice person. And she hated Amber.

"Ebony, please…."

"I thought we could do it nicely. But I guess we can't. So…" she stepped away, "we'll have to do it the other way."

Suddenly Amber realized. Ebony was walking towards the improvised crib, where her baby was screaming. Ebony smiled when she noticed how Amber's eyes gave in to horror.

"No…"

"What point would it be, stopping now? We would still be where we are? Without our Amber learning her lesson."

She was already at the crib and her hands reached for the crying baby.

"No! Ebony, please! I'll give you whatever you want, just leave him be!"

"See, Amber, that's why I don't want kids. They only make you weaker. Just like love; you and loverboy really belong together, you are both terrible leaders."

"Ebony, no! Take me, kill me, do whatever you want to me, just leave him, please!"

"Where would the fun be in that?" Ebony laughed.

"Ebony!"

Bray screamed out her name again. He started running again; he didn't know a guy quickly jumped to his feet, ready for more.

But Bray had a guardian angel. Trudy was still holding her daughter, looking at the losing battle, terrified. She saw how a guy took a breath, this time willing to take a life if Bray resisted. She couldn't let that happen. Her eyes caught a glimpse of a branch Lex had used to fix their tents. She didn't need a second to think she kissed her daughter's forehead, let go of her and grabbed the branch.

"Mommy," cried little girl, she too scared of blood and violence.

"Just a second, baby, don't move," Trudy responded. She followed a guy as silently as she could. He almost managed to catch Bray, but she was faster. She hit him across the head. He fell to the ground, motionless.

"Mommy!"

She looked at him for a moment. She didn't feel anything, particularly not guilt.

"Mommy!"

She dropped the branch and quickly ran towards the crying girl.

"It's gonna be alright, you'll see," she said and covered her daughter's eyes from the growing violence.

Amber's vision was blurred from tears. She screamed Ebony's name, hopelessly watching her slowly walking away, smiling, with her precious son in her hands. Axel was dragging her away; his arms felt like a death trap.

Axel was feeling exhausted, hungry and most of all he was furious. He certainly didn't appreciate it when Bray suddenly appeared next to him.

"Let her go, I mean it!" he screamed. He didn't wait for Axel's answer. He sent a powerful blow into his abdomen. It weakened Axel enough so that Amber was able to get away. She didn't say anything; all she could see was Ebony, holding their son.

Ebony cursed when it happened. She looked around but no one was there. She was all alone, holding a baby and Amber was free again.

What had happened? Where had it gone wrong?

Axel was the strongest man of the team. Bray's blow hardly moved him an inch. He didn't hesitate. He returned the swing, straight into Bray's head.

All Bray could see for a moment was total darkness. He knew he was falling down. His muscles were aching and his body was shutting down.

But he couldn't give in. his mind, his will, his heart wouldn't let him. Not until they were safe. There was no one else to protect them but him. It was up to him. He couldn't let them win again.

He managed to get up. He hardly had any balance left. His face was swollen from all the hits he had endured. It made it difficult to see. His lungs were burning.

"I won't let you," he said.

"I'll drop him, I swear Amber!" Ebony shouted. "You don't want me to do that do you?"

"Give me my son!" screamed Amber. Ebony cursed again, trying to think of the way out. She failed. She could fulfil what she had said. But what was the point, really? It would only make her a baby killer.

The battle had gone on for too long and screams were echoing to the beach. Other Mallrats looked at each other, with confusion and fear. What was happening? It sounded like an attack. They ran back, some of them grabbing branches or other possibly useful things on the way.

Salene and Darryl collided with Ebony. Even if she was surprised, Salene didn't show it. She grabbed Ebony by the arm and prevented her escape. Amber ran towards the baby. She pulled him out of Ebony's hands and embraced him tightly while sobbing.

"What's going on?" Salene asked.

Trudy came running with her daughter.

"Salene, help them! There are more!" she shouted.

But their help came too late for Bray. He was done; one more hit it was all Axel had to do to get his opponent to the ground. Bray lay still, not able to move. His vision was blurry and he was slowly falling into unconsciousness.

It wasn't enough for Axel. He snapped. He continued to kick Bray, into his back, ribcage, even though it was obvious he had won. It seemed all he wanted was blood, the more of it the better. It took Jack, Darryl and two native warriors to drag him away from Bray.

He lay in the pool of blood, motionless, with his eyes still half open.

He was numb, he didn't feel anything anymore, and all pain had subsided. His breaths became slower and shallow.

Maybe this was it, he thought.

He searched for her with his eyes. If this indeed was the end he had to see her, one last time, to ensure she and the baby were alright. They were what he loved most and they were what he wanted for the last sight on this side. They were what kept him alive for so long, through all he had experienced.

He had wanted her from the first moment; down there, in the sewers she had stolen his heart and he never wanted it back. She and the baby were his purpose and he gave his life for them. It felt satisfying.

He saw Ebony creeping away. In the chaos, they all forgot to keep an eye on her. So typical. He knew she would come back, someday, somehow. She always did.

Jay appeared from nowhere, with a cut on his forehead. It looked like he had come too close to a branch. He took Amber from Trudy's arms and hugged her tightly. Amber looked broken; she collapsed onto him. Sobbing, still with their son in her hands.

Nothing was ever more important than them. No pain, no hate could ever be stronger than the love he felt for her, their baby. They were what mattered most. He wanted them to be happy even if he couldn't be the one.

He looked at Jay. No matter what he was, he seemed to really love Amber. He made her happy, and he took good care of the baby. She had told him himself; she had been happy with him.

Her, happy. That was all it had been about, from the beginning. It wouldn't end here, with him slipping away. What they had was stronger than death; they had proven that over and over again. It would wait, evolve, grow until the day they would meet again, in another place, in another time.

The undying will for a better life was what embraced Bray when he drifted into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>What Bray never knew was that a moment after his eyes closed, Amber spotted him over Jay's shoulder, through her tears. She saw him lying, just as he … as if he was …<p>

She stopped sobbing. The horror crept back into her and it felt so real her whole body shook. She felt her heart breaking.

"Bray!" she screamed. She pulled herself out of Jay's embrace and ran towards Bray's motionless body.

He didn't respond. He didn't move or open his eyes. He just … lay.

"Bray!" she screamed again. He reached him and knelt. With one arm she was holding the little boy and with other she gently touched Bray's face. She turned his head ti her. But he didn't move. Blood was still oozing from his wounds and onto her skin as she whispered his name again.

The baby was silent as if he too was waiting for his father to suddenly wake up, cheerful and happy, to give her a deep kiss and swing him high into the air.

"Bray, please wake up," she whispered and her fingers caressed his face, the face of a man she loved. Tears were falling from her eyes as she was begging him to open his eyes.

He didn't.

* * *

><p>To be continued.<p>

broughttoyouby::: misswinter.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello again,**

**sorry for the long wait;**

**I've been feeling completely uninspired lately. This might not be the greatest chapter, but I gave it a go either way.**

**Nice to hear you enjoyed the previous chapter, but you didn't really believe I'd kill Bray did you? He is a star of this fic and I am not ready to do a crossover with Ghost Whisperer yet :D **

**Hope you haven't lost interest yet; commenting, as always, is not forbidden.**

**love,**

**missw. **

* * *

><p><strong>T<strong>he **P**ast, **T**he **P**resent and **T**he **F**uture

_The Tribe fan fiction based on the wonderful A New World book by AJ Penn._

_Focused on Bramber/Jamber thing, you can also read it as the missing pages between page 363 and the epilogue._

A note - - all characters are taken from The Tribe series and ANew Worldnovel. Nothing is mine; I just made up the storyline and the dialogues. Nothing would be possible without the wonderful masterminds behind The Tribe.

* * *

><p>CHAPTER 11<p>

Lia grabbed a first-aid kit and ran towards Bray's motionless body.

Amber was still kneeling next to him, crying and begging him to open his eyes.

»Amber, could you please…« said Lia. She tried to get closer but Amber didn't seem to have noticed her.

»Please Bray, you got to wake up! I can't … I can't lose you again. Please, please…«

Baby boy also started to cry. Scared of his distraught mother he began screaming and frantically looking around. His small arms tried to fight off his mother, unsuccessfully.

Trudy was biting her lower lip. Her eyes too started to fill with tears. The dreadful thought of Bray, lying there dead, invaded her thoughts. She had to do something.

She passed Brady to Gel; she didn't wait for her to start complaining. She ran towards Amber and hugged her across shoulders.

"Come on, honey, let's give Lia some space to…"

"No! No, I can't leave him! Not now. I feel like all I ever do is leaving him…"

"He's going to be alright…" whispered Trudy. She tried not to show fear in her voice; she feared she had lied. It didn't look good; Bray wasn't moving, his head looked swollen and blood was still oozing. His entire face was pale as if he had lost all its blood. The tears pressed to be released eve harder; it looked like he was really slipping away.

Trudy's eyes moved to Lia. She begged with her eyes for denial of the horrible thought. Trudy couldn't bear the thought of them dealing with the loss of their leader again; not now, when he had only came back; not in such a violent way.

Lia avoided Trudy's eyes. She knelt next to Bray. She touched his left wrist, praying for a pulse.

It felt like seconds turned into centuries. It seemed like it took lia forever to smile lightly and say she could feel the pulse.

Trudy sighed with relief. She leant to Amber again, this time with a smile on her face.

"See? He's gonna be OK! Come on, lets…"

She gently took the crying baby from Amber's hands and passed him to Salene. Amber didn't seem to have noticed. She was still caressing his cheek as if her touch alone would be enough to bring him back.

"He thinks … I never told him … he can't …"

"You'll tell him when he wakes up. Which will be in no time. Now give Lia some space to…"

"What if he doesn't? I can't … I can't lose him again, Trudy…"

Trudy tried to pull Amber away. Surely sitting in the pool of Bray's blood couldn't be good for her. Trudy was genuinely concerned for her. She had never seen her friend so broke before. Both have witnessed horrible sights in this world since the adults had perished; sights no human should ever be able to see; yet nothing could compare to seeing the man she loved dying in front of her

Jay noticed Trudy's struggle. He made his way through the tribe that had gathered, worried for Bray's life.

He grabbed Amber around her waist and tried to carry her away. She didn't let him. She fought off his arms, still not moving her eyes off her lover's face.

"No, I don't wanna go! Bray, please wake up!"

"He's got a string pulse," Lia encouragingly said. She knew Amber was hysteric. Her screams weren't helpful; Bray was alive but in a bad state. His wounds continued bleeding. Lia knew she had to stop the bleeding soon; it wasn't like they were centres for transfusion nearby.

"See?" Trudy smiled to Amber.

"You're just saying that to make me … No! Bray, wake up; I love you …" she broke down in sobs as Jay's heart stopped. He let go of her and stepped back.

So he was right. There was something going on between them. He felt so dumb; he should have known. He had known about Bray even before he had ever got together with her. Bray, Bray, Bray, there was always Bray. You took Bray, she had said when they had first met. Please help me find Bray when she had finally got over her initial hate. There was Bray even when they were together. Sometimes, late at night when she was sleeping, he hugged her and she silently whispered the name.

Bray.

Jay felt like he had never really been given a chance. She had decided Bray was the one before they she had even met him, Jay. How could he possibly compete with that? He wondered for a moment why he had even bothered. It was doomed from the beginning. It couldn't end in any other way, he was simply in the way of a star-crossed lovers. He was just a supporting actor, keeping the audience interested while the main star was on a sick leave.

Maybe the only thing now left for him to do was to simply let go. Let them be together; keeping them apart would only make him hated by audience even more.

Maybe this way, his actions would be considered noble.

Maybe he would even get a contract for another season.

"He's gonna be fine, Amber…"

"He thinks I don't love him, Trudy ... I… I never told him! I thought it was the wrong time and …. And now he's gonna die and he'll never know!"

"He's not going to die, Amber!"

"Oh, what have I done…. What have I done … I am so sorry…"

Trudy rolled her eyes when she saw Jay backing away. Meanwhile, two of the Natives had approached as they had been asked by Lia to help her carry him back to the tents. Amber looked at them; they looked like the announcers of death. As if they wanted to take him away forever.

"No…"

"They are only taking him to the tents so that Lia will be able to examine him," Trudy said.

"No! No! He's dead, isn't he? Oh, god, Trudy! Bray!" she screamed.

"He's not dead, Amber, listen to me!"

"Bray, please, come back. I need you! Our baby… I can't do this again. Bray!"

With May's help Trudy managed to lift Amber but only a moment later she collapsed. She was shaking in sobs as the man she loved was carried away.

"Bray…"

"He's not leaving us," said Trudy and hugged her, "he's gonna be alright. We all are."

Amber didn't say anything. She silently watched how he disappeared inside a tent. Lia followed, with a look of extreme worry on her face.

* * *

><p>Later in the afternoon, Amber's eyes finally dried and the feeling of hysteria was replaced by concern and guilt.<p>

Amber felt so hopeless. She should have taken their son the moment Ebony had screamed and run away. Ebony would have never got him and Bray wouldn't be lying on the verge of death. Everything would be alright and he would still be. She couldn't stand the thought of him, dying, still believing it was over for her.

Over. She wanted him from the moment they had met. There was something about him that felt … right. From the first moment, she just knew. Nothing could ever come near. Even when they had been apart, when she had thought he had been dead, she had caught herself thinking about him. Wanting him; expecting him to just walk through the door, hug her, kiss her. She had moved on but she had kept running back to him. Maybe she had really loved the memory but nothing could ever compare.

Fate gave her another chance but she let it slip. She felt so dumb now. All she could think of was him and he was right there in front of her. But Jay, time, fear, everything drove her away. She didn't dare to admit how weak it made her; how careless she became when he was around. She made herself believe everything was more important; that it want the right time.

It was real love. The time and the place didn't matter when the love was real. She should have known.

She believed she had time. Lots of it. She planned to wait … for what? For Jay to suddenly just … disappear? For a sign from above? She and only she messed it up again. Now she had love, she had that stupid sign. But there was no more time.

She was once again left with nothing when she could have it all.

When Lia came out of tent, she very carefully said she expected him to be alright.

It didn't cheer Amber. She continued to feel the burden of the world on her shoulders.

* * *

><p>Right after the attack, with the help of the Natives, the Mallrats managed to lock up the three warriors they were either tied up or too injured to run away and hide. Lex tried to make them talk but they kept their lips sealed. They didn't even want to tell what had happened to Ram.<p>

Being aware of the hidden danger, Lex decided to have guards present at all times. As a leading commander and guard he was frowning all the time, even though he was aware Ebony wouldn't how up soon.

Kids were also forbidden to stray away from the camp. Sammy, careless as always, disobeyed the rule once and caused panic wave in Camp Phoenix. Women and children competed in crying, convinced he had stepped straight into the lion's haven while men were working on a strategy on how to get him back. When he finally reappeared, less than half an hour later, with a batch of bananas in his hands and surprised by the care they had shown, Lex had a really long and loud talk with him.

The only one not bothered by it all was Amber. She sat next to Bray, listening to his heart beating. It calmed her. As if nothing could happen to him when she was around; as if she was the line between death and life. She talked to him, a lot. About the change the technology had caused in the city; about Pride; about their son. Lia said talking to him was good so she talked more. But it didn't help. Bray remained unconscious. A candle of hope in Amber was slowly fading; the bright vision of the future was replaced by the illusion of death.

Trudy was worried while Jay was trying to pretend nothing was wrong. It disturbed him; his girlfriend spending so much time with her ex.

But what he could do, really?

Telling her seemed so careless.

So Jay continued to waiting for someone else to resolve his issues; hoping ignoring it would simply make everything OK.

* * *

><p>A tiny ray of light appeared in the dark. He almost missed it at first, a thick darkness wanted to swallow it, hide it, win him over.<p>

It was a ray of life, of hope. It outshone the hopelessness he was in. He hung on to it, believing it would pull him out of misery, someday, somehow. He was ready to go if needed but not when there was a chance to live.

The ray lingered. His eyes remained focused on it. He couldn't let it slip away. He could feel the time passing but he couldn't do anything. His body felt too tired to reach for it, so heavy. He couldn't move. So he waited.

Slowly he could feel his limbs hurting less; his lungs also stopped burning. It was the chance he was waiting for. He reached for it, for the ray. He grabbed it tightly so it couldn't slip away. He pulled himself out of the emptiness.

He opened his eyes. As he did, he was blinded by the bright light. It was so bright it felt unreal. His thoughts drifted back to the ray. Had he been tricked? Had he unknowingly stepped not towards life but towards heaven? Was he now faced by the light of redemption, holy innocence and eternity?

He blinked again. The overload of light hurt his eyes. He wanted to close them but couldn't, not until he knew for sure. His vision slowly came back and Bray became aware of his environment. It didn't feel like heaven anymore. He knew he had survived, that he had been alive, when he saw her eyes.

He was alive.

It was better than haven; he couldn't fight off a smile. He felt overwhelmed. The beauty of life; the ability to breathe, to look, to see, hear, feel. It was a miracle. It made him feel string yet so humble at the same time. He knew he could make a difference yet everything was out of his control. All he could really do was try, to live every moment. To live for moments of beauty, hope and love.

He felt like a world shone in a completely new light as she was gently caressing his face.

It was the feeling he loved, had longed for so long.

He smiled at her. He could see how her eyes filled with tears.

"Are you so sad to see me?" he said. The voice didn't really sound like his. It was husky and it was breaking. But it didn't look like she cared.

She smiled too.

"No," she said, silently, "what took you so long?"

His head followed the movement of her hand and his eyes closed again. The tiredness was taking over again. He knew it was safe; it would only bring him back to life, to her.

"Don't leave me again," he heard her whisper.

"I'll never leave you, Amber" he whispered before falling asleep.

* * *

><p>to be continued.<p>

broughttoyouby::: misswinter.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hi y'all!**

**NEW CHAPTER IS HERE! WHOA!**

Sorry for the long break, vacation time and no internet _(so awful)_. But the good news is, I managed to finish the story _(I've got a feeling you'll like the end ;) )_ I didn't give it up, not by any chance.

Thank you for all the lovely comments, they made me grinning like crazy :D. Yeah, I know what kind of a pain it is waiting for the next chapter of a ff. As of the cheesiness - yeah, I kinda got a bit carried away while writing. And thanks for liking my writing. 3

Now back to the story, I know that's the thing you care about.

This chapter is a bit short (ok really short). It's a start of the end, I've got 4 more chaps (some really cute ones). I will try to upload them in a bit faster tempo, I promise. Look back for more towards the end of the week.

As always, commenting is encouraged.

Thanks for your interest,

love, missw.

* * *

><p><strong>T<strong>he **P**ast, **T**he **P**resent and **T**he **F**uture

_The Tribe fan fiction based on the wonderful A New World book by AJ Penn._

_Focused on Bramber/Jamber thing, you can also read it as the missing pages between page 363 and the epilogue._

A note - - all characters are taken from The Tribe series and ANew Worldnovel. Nothing is mine; I just made up the storyline and the dialogues. Nothing would be possible without the wonderful masterminds behind The Tribe.

* * *

><p>CHAPTER 12<p>

Bray was sitting on a small hill, overlooking the endless ocean.

It was a couple of days since he had woken up. His body was slowly healing but scars couldn't hide the change the experience caused in him. Being on the edge changes a person; everyday routine seems endless just because it is – a routine. A routine means doing the same thing every day, thinking the same thoughts, worrying about the same things – putting food on a table, making sure your kids don't lose their way, keeping your family safe; every day, day after day. It occupies your mind to the extent there isn't a place for anything else – especially not for the unseen, yet, constant illusion of death above you. You deny it till it crashes into you full force.

Some succumb. Some rebound and luckily he was one of them.

And so his new life began.

A life without hate; a life where he wasn't what mattered most. He put his desires aside; in rebirth he finally saw purpose. As if he had been living in shadows, now it felt so selfish.

It was hard to embrace it. The right thing was like voluntarily giving away a large part of his soul. It hurt but he wasn't bitter about it. Nothing, absolutely nothing could ever change what they had and it had given him strength to face the inevitable. It had been real. It still was real, but it simply … passed.

He would smile with joy and remember the time when they had had all; each other. Nothing could take that away. It would live on forever, in memories. It was memories that had helped them to move on and the memories would forever remain an unbreakable bond between them.

It felt wrong to be bitter. Many would never get to experience it. He had and he was grateful for it. Sure he had hoped for a different ending, but the greatest thing he could now do was to simply let go.

Bray found Jay sitting in the middle of the Camp, by the fire boiling water. He had to take a second look just to be sure. Jay wasn't wearing his Techno uniform anymore and it made him look different. He recognized the shirt as Jack's and the pants weren't Jay's length.

Bray smiled. Jay was really doing their best to settle down their issues. Surely clothes couldn't make the past go away, but they certainly helped. When Bray put aside what he, they had done to him, he believed Jay was a good guy. He admitted his mistakes, leant from them. Bray had always admired people who walked away from their failures stronger. With Jay on their side, Bray knew the MallRats had a better chance to make the world a better place.

He stood there for a few seconds before speaking, as if gathering courage to go through with it. When he finally did, Jay immediately looked over his shoulder and Bray noticed the T on his forehead was missing. The area was red as if Jay had struggled to get it off.

Bray could spot the uncertainty in Jay's eyes.

"Hi," Jay replied. He quickly glimpsed around. He didn't see anyone. It wasn't the sight he had been hoping for but he tried not to show it.

Bray felt uncomfortable. But whether it was because of Jay of because of what he was going to say, he didn't know.

"I'd just like to talk to you if …"

"Yeah, sure," Jay nodded, maybe a bit too quick. "Boiling fun isn't that much fun."

Bray smiled, but Jay could see he did it out of politeness. He offered Bray to sit down on a log next to his, but Bray refused. He preferred to stand. He didn't mean to stay around for long either way. Maybe it really was the right thing but it still hurt like hell.

"So, you're feeling well?" Jay asked to break the tension between them. He was wondering what Bray wanting to talk meant. Was he going to apologize? Jay surely hoped so. He firmly believed what Bray had done and said to him was completely unfair. Jay had always been trying to get on well with everybody, to be appreciated. If he wasn't it meant trouble. And he sucked at dealing with them.

"Yes, thank you."

"I'm glad."

"Listen, Jay, I was," Bray sighed. Now there was no going back, "I was wrong."

Sure you were, thought Jay but refrained from saying anything. He frowned as if he had no idea what Bray meant.

"I thought it was all about me. But it wasn't. It isn't. It's about Amber, about what she wants. And if she wants you … I have no right to stand in the way."

A big aha echoed through Jay's mind as the two men stared at each other. Jay tried to make some sense out of Bray's words but the more he thought about it, the more unreal it seemed. Was he, Bray, actually saying he didn't mind if he, Jay, stayed with Amber? it was unbelievable, coming from a guy who almost butchered him not too long ago. What made him change his mind, what did he do?

Jay didn't know. And quite frankly, he didn't care.

He looked at Bray again. He was actually doing the exact same thing Jay had been planning on doing for weeks but never quite had guts to go through with it. Thank god he hadn't. Things worked out better than he had even dared to hope. He didn't even need to fight – he got Amber. She was now only his.

Of course Jay didn't spend a moment dwelling on Amber herself. The way she had behaved towards him lately. How she had been avoiding him ever since they had found Bray, always finding absurd excuses not to talk. Jay somehow managed to forget about the looks she had been given Bray; how some weird expression of longing had been written all over her face. He suddenly found the fact she had been spending days and nights with her ex while he had been unconscious completely normal given the situation. And most of all, Amber's words right after Bray had been hurt, those 3 words that had broken Jay's heart, well, they were now missing from his memory.

Because no matter what had happened, Amber was now his.

He wanted to jump high into the air, let put screams of joy. Life was a miracle after all. He didn't want to show his bliss though. He had enough compassion to understand it must have been tough on Bray. Jay felt like he owned him that. After all he wasn't a heartless bastard who'd want to dance on other's misery. Especially not after Bray had resolved his biggest issue.

Jay tried really hard not to blossom in a smile.

"Oh? Oh …"

Bray didn't appreciate Jay's clueless eyes but he overlooked them.

"You might be … you might have been a Techno, but … you love her. You make her happy. And she loves you. It hurts me to admit but it's the truth. I cannot fight it."

Jay nodded, not knowing what to say or do as Bray was able to notice. His newly formed respect for Jay was still far too fresh not to think what of a douchebag he was.

"Treat her right, Jay," he said and tried to smile.

Jay had no problem at smiling. Women were something he was good at.

Or at least he liked to think so.

"It's the only way she deserves," he nodded.

* * *

><p>to be continued.<p>

broughttoyouby::: misswinter.


	13. Chapter 13

Hi again;

I know it's not the end of a week yet, but anyway; here's chapter 13. Don't think you'll complain about it.

As always, thanks for reading.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. :)

love, missw.

* * *

><p><strong>T<strong>he **P**ast, **T**he **P**resent and **T**he **F**uture

_The Tribe fan fiction based on the wonderful A New World book by AJ Penn._

_Focused on Bramber/Jamber thing, you can also read it as the missing pages between page 363 and the epilogue._

A note - - all characters are taken from The Tribe series and ANew Worldnovel. Nothing is mine; I just made up the storyline and the dialogues. Nothing would be possible without the wonderful masterminds behind The Tribe.

* * *

><p>CHAPTER 13<p>

Amber could easily be tricked into believing it was a wonderful day.

It seemed like the early morning shower left Camp Phoenix in a pristine condition. As if it washed away the unwanted burden and left the leaves shinning in every shade of green imaginable. The birds worshiped the beauty. They sat on branches, singing. Incredible melodies made you stop and listen. You couldn't fight off the bliss taking over your body. The killing heat also gave in and the feeling of a light ocean breeze only contributed to the tropical paradise.

The Mallrats breathed in the nature's effort. Like a drug it brought smiles to their faces and optimism finally started to sink in. a party was being organized for the evening, meant to celebrate the future. The Natives offered not only their hunting skills, but also music and company. Even Lex forgot about lurking Ebony; he visibly loosened up, probably because Priestess was also coming.

But Amber wasn't impressed. Frankly, the party was the last thing she cared about. There was an enormous hole inside her, filled solely with pure emptiness. The whole of nothing conquered her and happiness couldn't invade no matter how much she would try. It hurt too much.

Eventually she stopped trying to comprehend the beauty around her. Her eyes were searching for a flaw on a cloudless sky as she tried to shut out the laughter of others, especially Jay's. It didn't really help her get out of the misery she was trapped in.

Jay was sitting next to her and she could feel his arms wrapped around her body. It felt like she was on fire. As if blisters were forming under her skin, getting ready to explode. Restlessness crept into her, urging her to run away, away from him. But she sat still, silent.

She was feeling so ever since Jay's words in a span of three minutes, interrupted by kisses, told her Bray had given them his blessing.

Words cut deep into her heart but she guessed she deserved it. She had had Bray's heart offered on a plate but she turned it down. Why, she didn't know; it felt so pointless now. But no matter how much she regretted it, there was no way back.

She was a sinner and punishment finally caught up with her. She had played with emotions, not only hers. She deserved it and was willing to suffer till she reached the level of redemption. Maybe then the reality would invade her kingdom of affection and she would finally be forced to step down as the queen of hypocrisy. But until then, she was stuck in a dungeon full of mirrors reflecting her actions.

Every look at Bray crashed her heart into even smaller pieces. He was playing with their son and he looked content. With a big smile on his face, he seemed so relieved, so free. As a man who is on a mend after a lethal disease. He embraced life and let go of her, the blood sucking parasite. She was left to defend on herself, struggling to survive. He firmly believed that was what she wanted. A life without him. He couldn't see the mortal convulsion she was in; he didn't know he was what she was craving. So happily unaware, because she had faked it all so well.

Amber looked at Jay. He was laughing at the joke Sammy had told before. He looked happy, too. It seemed everyone was happy and it felt lonely being the only outcast. She was yearning to be rescued, even though she didn't know how. But she was invisible; in their state of perfect bliss they overlooked her.

Jay, especially. She couldn't shake him off. Was she really such a good actress or he simply didn't care? He looked like a general after a winning battle; not caring about the damage inflicted on his people as long as he'd go into the history books as a winner. He was waiting for his valet to bring him a bottle of scotch while she was running out of oxygen in their relationship.

Every once in a while Jay turned to her, smiled and kissed her. At first her obsession with a perfect façade in front of others forced her to fake a smile. Yet now all she wanted was someone, _he_, to notice her inner rotting.

"Uncle Bray, uncle Bray!" young Brady screamed as she ran into the centre of the camp. Trudy was puffing behind her, visibly exhausted. Her daughter proclaimed the day as perfect one for preparations for semi marathon and had spent the whole morning running up and down the beach. Not happy with her mother's participation she had decided to drag her uncle along.

And she wasn't wrong. Bray adored his little niece and wanted to be around her as much as possible, after all the months he had missed. It didn't take her long to convince her; Trudy hadn't even restored her normal breathing routine yet.

Bray stood up. His son looked at him, with bright eyes and expression of interest. Bray had to smile. He was so small, only a baby, but sometimes it seemed like he understood everything. He looked at you with his head turned to the left and with his mouth slightly opened and he looked like he was analysing you.

Or maybe he was just being a parent, Bray wondered. Every parent probably saw their kid as the most beautiful, the smartest, the most perfect of all.

"Come on, let's hand you to mummy," he said to his little boy. The baby immediately smiled and clapped with his hands. Bray kissed his son's temple and the boy giggled.

Amber's heart went crazy when she saw Bray walking towards her. The infatuation messed up her mind and there was nothing she could do about it. She would remove some hair off her forehead, her hand already twitched, if they weren't carefully tied up in zulu knots. She never made it easy for herself. She prayed Bray would end up walking to someone else, but as his careful stare was focused on her, her hope was quickly fading.

As he was nearing her, Amber couldn't help but to take a sightseeing tour over his body. She noticed how his perfectly shaped muscles were moving under his short; hair kept on escaping in front of his eyes; his strong, tanned arms; and those green eyes, the incomprehensible maze she always got lost in. There was something about him, an addiction she couldn't shake off.

But he didn't need to know.

She quickly looked at Jay. He was concentrating really hard on Sammy. Amber doubted he had any idea what Sammy had been talking about. She knew he, like herself, tried really hard not to look at Bray. Ah, their non-existing love triangle. Yet at the same time it was more complicated then Rubik's cube.

Her eyes were on the rodeo when he was coming closer. Only five steps, four … ah. She was running out of time and was still waiting on a big enlightening as to what to do. Maybe stop breathing? Then her blood's priority wouldn't be blushing. She didn't want him to see that embarrassing shade of her face. She cursed the feelings she had towards him. It was hopeless but hopeless in a good way. Just as if it was written in stars.

Of course she failed again. Her plan was shredded by the time he reached her and she had to take a breath. Breathe everything in, especially him. It was so intoxicating. With another quick glance at Jay, she noticed how he had completely turned away from her.

Bray noticed Amber's red cheeks. He couldn't help but to think how cute it made her look. She looked like a young goddess and he was once again taken aback by her.

But he didn't show it. Not now when he had already given her his blessing. It would look like he hadn't been serious; that he had only wanted to make himself look good. That wasn't true, at all.

He looked back at his son and kissed his forehead.

"Be good," he whispered. A boy waved with his hands as his father passed him to Amber. "You don't mind to…"

She shook her head but said nothing. Her face was already worth a thousand words. She reached out with her hands.

Bray passed the baby to her and the touch of their hands was inevitable. It only lasted for a second or two but it was more than just an ordinary touch. It was an explosion; a firework for the 4th of July. Big, powerful, loud and undeniable. While it seemed like the colored sparks could enlighten the tropical sky, the two of them were the only audience. The force strapped off their masks and they faced each other in pure honesty. No matter how persistent they were at hiding, their emotions erupted and no safety precautions could prevent it. The truth was out in the open and it couldn't be denied.

Their eyes were keys to their hearts; the door opened and they saw what had been inside them the whole time – a place where they belonged. A place of pure peace, grace and love. It had lain there, buried under their denial, resistible to all the pretending they had put on. Now it was shining with all its might, so brightly they couldn't deny it. They shared a moment and became what they had been all along – star-crossed lovers. Everything was so clear they had to wonder how they could be so blind.

For a moment Amber thought Bray was going to lean closer and kiss her. It felt so unexplainably right and inevitable and she could see no obstacles. Her mind blocked everything around her – other Mallrats and most importantly Jay. It was only she and the man she loved, oh so crazily and hopelessly loved. And he loved her back. What could stand in the way of something so natural and real? She looked at his lips yearningly; its shape, color, gentleness; she was overwhelmed and there was no reason to deny it.

Bray felt like an arrow in the compass, so hopelessly he was being drawn to Amber. He had to use all his strength not to pull her into a passionate kiss, right then, right there. He knew he couldn't and especially shouldn't. He had vowed to let her be free and he couldn't break it.

Her eyes were so tempting, just like those way back in the city, encouraging him to go ahead. They looked like she wanted it, just as badly as he did.

Was it only his deepest desire of his heart or could it be real? Could she really crave for them as much as he did? Could it be?

In that moment of brutal honesty it surely seemed so.

Amber grabbed the baby tightly and pressed him to her chest. Bray moved back. He paused for a moment before responding to Brady's calls. He looked at Amber once more and tried to catch at chest a bit of what he had just felt.

He couldn't.

It was gone, just as it had appeared; in a second.

The reality invaded between them again and they were once again bound by unpleasant consequences of the wrong place and the wrong time. The circumstances got the best of them and they affected status quo again, completely unconvincingly.

Amber's peak of the day was over before she could surrender and let it fill her veins with optimism and liveliness. As Bray walked away, the magical substance that freed her lings and allowed her to breath disappeared with him. Once again, the invisible chains squeezed her tightly; the echoes of her past actions that stopped her from reaching for what she wanted most.

She sat the baby onto her lab and kissed his forehead. Little boy smiled weakly and looked at her with sad expression.

"I know," she whispered and caressed his face, "I know, sweetie."

She lifted her eyes but Bray was nowhere to be seen. She sighed. Maybe this was how her life would be like; constant craving for a moment when in some parallel universe she'd be united with Bray, for the eternity of a momentary togetherness; the ecstasy when it would happen and optimistic despair when it would end.

She wouldn't mind. Being Lost in him was worth the wait.

* * *

><p>To be continued.<p>

Broughttoyouby::: misswinter.


	14. Chapter 14

Hello again,

First off, a big thank you for all your kind words about the previous chapter. I was literally blown away and I am glad you liked it. :) I hope this story makes your wait for the next book a bit shorter & easier to handle.

Here is chapter 14.

Commenting remains encouraged.

Will be back soon,

love, missw.

* * *

><p>The Past, The Present and The Future<p>

The Tribe fan fiction based on the wonderful A New World book by AJ Penn.

Focused on Bramber/Jamber thing, you can also read it as the missing pages between page 363 and the epilogue.

A note - - all characters are taken from The Tribe series and A New World novel. Nothing is mine; I just made up the storyline and the dialogues. Nothing would be possible without the wonderful masterminds behind The Tribe.

* * *

><p>CHAPTER 14<p>

The party in the village continued long into the night. Daylight was long gone and the throne of the sky had been taken over by nightshift. It was full moon and the light was nothing the MallRats had ever seen before. It might have been because they had been living in a concrete jungle for so long. It was such a beautiful night; a perfect one for miracles.

Everyone was invited into the Natives' village, not only Mallrats but also people they had rescued from Blake's base. A large boar was roasting on an open fire in the middle of the village; Lex, Lia and some of the Natives were sitting around it, exchanging tales. Others were singing, along with drums and the live music encouraged them to start dancing. Of course drinks also contributed to the good mood. Mallrats were introduced to a very powerful drink that made your throat burn. It was served in coconuts, but the innocent look couldn't hide the fact the liquor made you feel a bit dizzy.

Amber, as a leader, was expected to take part in the celebration, although it was the last thing she wanted. After she got her baby to sleep in a guest hut, she leant onto the door, sighed and looked at the people enjoying themselves.

She rolled her eyes when she saw Jay approaching. She certainly didn't appreciate him keep on coming to check on her and try to drag her to the party. Until then she had had a reason for rejecting him – she had to get her baby to sleep. She looked over her shoulder; he was now asleep, peacefully. She would have to find another excuse.

Fast.

Jay apparently also had had a few drinks himself. She noticed he wasn't walking straight anymore. He reached her and kissed her gently on a cheek.

Here we go again, she thought.

"Are you OK?" he asked.

She nodded, hoping it would make him go away faster. It didn't. He embraced her and looked straight into her eyes as if questioning her words.

"I am fine, really," she responded she tried to squeeze out of Jay's arms but failed.

"Stay where you are – I'll get you one of these," he said and pointed to the coconut in his hands. "But I'm warning you – they're a bit lethal."

He grinned. World must be looking so bright in his with alcohol-soaked eyes, she thought. Even she probably looked like she was willing to dance polka.

He wasn't bad, Amber thought when he was walking away, to the centre of the barbecue to get her a drink. He loved her and she knew it. In his own way, he really loved her. He took great care of her baby; that had been enough for her. Not just enough; she had wanted to find a man who would be a good father figure to her son. Jay was good at it and she had seen herself with him in the future.

But it wasn't her way. Jay didn't make her feel head over heels in love and the butterflies didn't take off in her stomach when she saw him. It wasn't that kind of love. Jay made her feel safe and finally with him she had found some stability. That had been what she had been lacking; she had had her life turned around too many times. With Jay she could see the future; not the one she desired but the future that had been good enough for. A good enough of a replacement for the one she had thought would never be possible again.

Jay couldn't do anything to change it. She didn't feel any guilt; she had been honest with him. He was what she had wanted when she had thought she would ever get to see Bray again. He had helped her tremendously; he had given her the drive to somehow move on, to ensure the better life for her son. She doubted she could do it without him and she was grateful. A part of her still loved her; forever would as you cannot ever completely stop loving someone who gave you so much. But simply, he wasn't the one.

Her heart broke for him as she watched him. She knew there was no alternative; they as a couple had no future. They were more than a rebound but less than a real relationship. Amber believed sometimes people entered your life not only to make it better but to teach you how to make a change. They never stayed long, but were with her long enough to make a lasting impact.

Dal helped her survive the first few months after the virus. He was her rock, a friend she could always count on. His vision of the world shaped her as a person and a leader; it led her to see the Mallrats not as a bunch of insecure kids but as bringers of the better future.

Sasha opened her eyes; made her see that a world without the adults didn't necessary mean a world of constant fighting and illusion of death; there was also love. You just had to give it a chance. He helped her to admit, most importantly to herself, that she could love and did love.

Pride didn't just save her life; give her another perspective on love and survival. He thought her how to forgive and gave her time and freedom to figure things out.

They and now Jay all helped her to reach this point in life. Without either of them the road of life would probably lead her somewhere else. Not to Bray; to the future with him and their son. She was grateful and they would all remain special in her heart forever. But it was time to let them all go and finally find a place next to Bray.

If of course, she wasn't too late.

Bray was dancing with Emma and Amber was following them with her eyes. Amber couldn't help to think she was supposed to be the one Bray was dancing with. She was the one that loved him, loved him so badly that it hurt, and so much that it couldn't be surpassed.

She hoped he still felt the same way. He had told her that he had but she had rejected him, so cruelly. She wouldn't be surprised if he didn't forgive her. The way she had acted towards him, on Eagle Mountain, after Eagle Mountain, now when he had come back from imprisonment – she knew she didn't deserve his forgiveness and especially his love. He had always tried to be the best man he could possibly be for her yet she pushed him away, made him believe she didn't care one bit for him. He should have left her to face her actions a long long time ago but he hadn't.

His love was unconditional.

Amber believed she had no right to look at him, longing for him, with jealousy. Bray deserved to choose whoever he wanted – Emma seemed like a good choice. She surely wouldn't cause half the pain she had. Amber tried to do what bray had done for her – to let him go, to be happy whichever way he chose. But somehow she couldn't. Maybe she got sucked back into old ways, wanting him so much she couldn't stand the thought of him being with someone else. Or maybe because she just knew there was no other way than them. They loved each other too much to let it pass.

Jay appeared again, this time with coconut in his hand.

"Here," he said.

"Thank you."

Amber was never much of a drinker. She didn't see any point in alcohol; if you can't solve your problems sober, you cannot expect alcohol to do it for you. If anything it would make the matters worse.

But this time she accepted the drink, not so much for the participation in the party as to get rid of Jay. So she drank it down. Her throat felt like it was on fire for a few moments but at least it was over. Or maybe it was a bit quick after all. It felt like all of the blood from her body crashed into her head, unable her balance centre. Her legs felt unsteady as if she was wearing high heels. And for the tiniest moment the emptiness inside her disappeared. A ray of light broke through the hollows she was trapped in and she felt alright. More than alright. For the split second she got a feeling everything was going to be ok.

The barricades fell down and she actually smiled. She let Jay take her hand and lead her to the group that was dancing. There Salene, whose pupils were also extraordinary dilated, grabbed her arm and Amber found herself in the middle of the group. They were dancing around the centre of the village and as the music got faster, Darryl, the leader of the dance, also accelerated. Amber found herself moving so fast that everything around her became only a bunch of colourful glimpses. She breathed in the atmosphere and was actually happy. She didn't know how much of her bliss was a consequence of the liquor but she didn't care. It felt like flying. Everything else faded away; keeping up with the pace occupied her. It was all that mattered in the moment and it was so relaxing.

Finally, the song ended with a loud scream of the leading drummer. They stopped dancing and clapped. Amber looked around. She saw her friends – Trudy. Jack. Salene. Lex's laugh could be heard in the distance. They were more than friends, they were her family. They got united in a way that should never repeat again – in the ashes of the old world. Maybe it was really up to them to make a difference, maybe no one else would do it. But with them around her, she knew they had a chance.

"Well that was fun," Jay invaded her thoughts. His eyes were full of cheer as he tried to catch his breath.

"Yes," she nodded, "yes it was."

With a corner of her eyes Amber noticed Bray and Emma. They were dancing away from the main group, embraced. And they looked happy. He was whispering something to her and she was smiling. Her cheeks were a bit blushed. Maybe it was alcohol, or maybe it was him.

_That could have been you_, a whisper in her head said.

No amount of alcohol could wash that away.

The jealousy stung her and she had to look away. But it felt like they were everywhere. Lia and Lex by the fire, sitting so close to each other; he couldn't take his eyes of her and her skin couldn't be described differently than red. Salene and Darryl seemed to be enjoying as well. Darryl was making funny faces and Salene was laughing so hard tears were rolling down her face. Ruby and Slade were sitting under a palm tree; he had his arms wrapped around her and they looked so much in love. Jack and Ellie were slowly dancing; their faces were only apart for one tiniest bit. They all looked like they were taken over by love.

_That could have been you_.

Jay tried to embrace her but this time she succeeded in avoiding his arms. She couldn't look at him.

"I'm sorry," she said, feeling tears gathering in her eyes. She turned away and started moving towards the huts again. Another song started and people were once again too intoxicated by dancing to notice her. She tried to make her way through the crowd as unnoticed as possible. She avoided looking at their happy faces. They were all mirrors with her reflection.

_That could have been you._

* * *

><p>To be continued.<p>

Broughttoyouby::: misswinter.


	15. Chapter 15

Hi,

update time. Thank you for liking the previous chapter, means a lot :)

Now this chapter is second to last, only the epilogue follows (guess what it will be about :D). It should be up soon too.

And a little secret: I started working on another TT fic. So far so good, I might share it soon.

Commenting remains encouraged.

Enjoy,

love, missw.

PS: happy olympic games

* * *

><p><strong>T<strong>he **P**ast, **T**he **P**resent and **T**he **F**uture

_The Tribe fan fiction based on the wonderful A New World book by AJ Penn._

_Focused on Bramber/Jamber thing, you can also read it as the missing pages between page 363 and the epilogue._

A note - - all characters are taken from The Tribe series and A New World novel. Nothing is mine; I just made up the storyline and the dialogues. Nothing would be possible without the wonderful masterminds behind The Tribe.

* * *

><p>CHAPTER 15<p>

Jay frowned when Amber rejected him. Ever since they had been cleared to be together she puzzled him. She seemed so distant, like someone had drained life out of her. No matter how much he tried, she simply wasn't returning the affection. It was a time when she should be happy, enjoying every moment with him. It should be time of a carefree love but instead it felt like they were stuck in an ice age. Like a spoilt kid she had it all but apparently wanted nothing.

Or maybe she just didn't want him.

It might have been because of the alcohol Jay had poured but he suddenly got a revelation.

Just because Amber had chosen him back in the city it didn't mean she wanted him. Had Bray never got taken Jay would probably know them as a really nice couple with a young child. He wouldn't have a chance to get Amber; she was meant for Bray. But the twist of fate had wanted him to meet her as a single mother and without Bray they somehow connected.

It would have never been like this with Bray by her side and that ought to have meant something.

Jay loved Amber; he knew he could make her happy. He stubbornly insisted even when and especially when it was obvious he was wrong. His greed made him fail to notice he was actually making her unhappy. He glued on her, as if he belonged there.

He didn't. She didn't even deserve someone like him, someone who only wanted her so that he could make himself happy. Somewhere along the way Jay had forgotten what love actually meant.

But someone hadn't.

Bray had given them his blessing. Jay tied Amber to him so successfully it made Bray believe Amber was actually happy so he stepped aside. Because he loved her enough to realize her happiness was more important than his. And if it meant ending up empty handed, it was more than good enough; if it meant making Amber happy, it was worth it.

As he looked at it in retrospective, Jay couldn't believe what a jerk he had been. So selfish; he deserved everything he had got lately.

He looked at Bray. With a drink in his hand he was standing next to Emma. They were talking, chatting like old friends. He had no idea. Bray believed his sacrifice had made Amber happy. How could he know it actually knocked her down? Jay noticed how his eyes were constantly escaping to the direction of the huts. He had probably seen Amber running away from the party, distraught. He wanted to follow her, be there for her because that was just what you did for someone who was more important to you than your own life. But he stayed foot. He believed that wasn't what Amber wanted. He had no idea that she was craving for that with all her being.

And he, Jay was responsible. He had pushed two people that belonged to each other, straight into hell. Intentionally or not, it was his fault. The question was whether he was man enough to fix what he had broken. If he loved her enough to do what he should have done a long time ago.

Jay passed the drink he was holding to Sammy, whose face brightened up. He gratefully poured it down, loving how high it made him feel.

He took a deep breath and followed Amber.

He found her next to the crib her son was sleeping in. she was sitting on the floor, with her face in her hands. Her shoulders were shaking and she was crying. For the first time Jay actually understood what he had caused and it hurt him too. He was a good person, he had simply got lost. But he realized it and wanted to repair the damage and that was what mattered.

He stepped to her and stretched his arm. She looked up, with her puffy eyes full of defeat. They were begging him for mercy all along yet he had been blind.

"Get up," he said in calm voice and smiled weakly. She hesitated for a moment but then finally accepted his arm. He pulled her up.

"Oh, Amber," he sighed when she was facing him. He wiped away the tears from her face. Now sadness in her eyes was replaced by a big question mark.

"I'm sorry," he said.

She frowned. She didn't understand what he was saying.

"For what?"

"For the pain I've caused you. And …" he had to smile. She was so pretty, even now. She could so easily be the one for him, "for not doing this earlier."

He leant forward and kissed her gently on her forehead. He paused for a moment before backing away. He closed his eyes and breathed in the moment, the last one the two of them would ever share. The memories of them being together flooded his mind, but the pain was overshadowed. Knowing he was doing the right thing conquered him and he had to smile.

He opened his eyes and looked at her again; his eyes caressed her face, trying to memorize every little detail. It was bittersweet; but some things just aren't meant to be.

Then Jay slowly stepped back and walked away without saying another word.

* * *

><p>Bray tried to enjoy the party, he really did.<p>

The celebrated the future. There was so much optimism in the air you could almost touch it and the future never seemed brighter.

Yet somehow it felt empty. Without Amber near him everything felt empty. She was part of his soul, his being and nothing could fill the bowl of nothing their separation had inflicted onto him.

He heard steps nearing. He looked over his shoulder and saw Jay coming closer. Bray sighed. The drinks Jay had that evening were certainly showing in full effect. He wasn't walking straight anymore and he looked blissful. Bray still struggled to perceive him as a person rather than a Techno and was hoping the alcohol didn't make him braver. Bray had already given them all he had; he didn't appreciate being reminded of it again and again.

He put his first and still unfinished drink of the evening down. Emma sensed the tension that suddenly took over his body.

"What? What is it?" she asked and grabbed his arm.

"Nothing," he calmly said, "we're getting a visitor."

Jay finally reached them. Bray turned to him to greet him like a real gentleman, but Jay didn't want any affected politeness. He had already taken enough of their time. He took a deep breath.

"It took me awhile to realize but I did," he said, "Bray, no matter what you say, she will never be mine."

That wasn't something that Bray had expected. It took him by a complete surprise, the contrast between this and what he had thought he would.

"What do you mean?" he finally managed to say.

"I think we both know what I mean," Jay said. He looked at Bray for another moment, then lowered his head and walked away. Bray followed him with his eyes until Jay reached the centre of the barbecue. He accepted a drink Lex offered him and drank it down. Another one followed in no time, then he walked away, ignoring Lex's invitation to sit down and drink some more. He stopped at the nearby tree. He slid down to the floor and listened to the music for a while, before closing his eyes to relieve the growing headache. He didn't even realize when he passed out.

* * *

><p>To be continued<p>

Broughttoyouby::: misswinter.


	16. Epilogue

Hi,

so here it is - the epilogue. :)

I would like to thank you all for your support while writing this over the past few months, it means a lot. I hope you all like the ending and, as always, feel free to leave a comment.

Hopefully many similar moments await us in the future.

Enjoy;

love, missw.

* * *

><p><strong>EPILOGUE<strong>

Bray silently watched Jay walk away. Everything came out of nowhere and it felt overwhelming. A second ago he though life with half of his heart beating was all he would get and now …

What was now?

It could only mean one thing but this one thing was impossible. H accepted his lose yet now everything came around, back to him. Past few months, life in captivity and their separation had taught him to appreciate little things and now he was given the world. It was so sweet he couldn't take it in.

He would continue just standing there; dwelling on words Jay had spoken, fearing it was only in his mind. The effects of numerous simulations were still melted in him, floating around in his blood and he dreaded this moment was only one of Eloise's belated gifts. But it felt so real, too real to only be a product of virtual reality.

He felt Emma's hand on his and he startled as it woke him from his thoughts. He turned to her, with big childish eyes, as a little boy in a toy store.

"Go," she said and smiled. He gazed. The realization of unthinkable selfishly hijacked his ability to form words.

"Go."

And he went. First few steps were unsteady, but with every new one towards the guest hut, the look on his face became more confident and it felt like walking on clouds. It was a feeling of extreme freedom and peace took over his body as anxiety faded away. It felt so natural, like breathing.

And he saw her, standing next to a crib, looking at their baby, a little marvel and constant reminder why they should never stop keeping their dream alive. It was worth the effort every time he looked at him, so small and innocent. He was a founder of new generation, the one who wouldn't see their world as chaotic one but simply as – their world. Bray knew it was up to them, those who had faced the destruction and rebirth, to teach their children how to keep moving on, without forgetting the past. The past was where it had all begun and the past was the best teacher.

Moonlight surrounded Amber; the glow around her looked angelic. As if she was the line between the world and the beyond; a god's prophet sent to them in god's quest to make the world a better place. Such a combination of beauty and grace felt too fragile to stay on this side full of chaos, brutality and dusk. Bray feared she might slip away, again but he wouldn't give her up without a fight. She was his Past, his Present and his Future and as he was watching her, with hands in his pockets, he hoped he brought her at least half of the happiness he felt when being in her presence.

Amber had no idea Bray was standing behind her; her thoughts completely captivated her. She got the most beautiful wakeup call she could possibly imagined; she felt hands around her waist; hands that could only be his. No one else's could feel so familiar, bring so much warmth, relieve her of the stress and make her feel high. It was the hands she had missed so terribly and she recognized them immediately. It felt so natural; she closed her eyes and leant back, onto his chest. He pulled her closer and buried his face into her neck. Her veins became filled with bliss as he began slowly kissing her and she couldn't understand how she managed to survive a single day without him. If she could make a moment an eternity, this would be it. He was all she needed and wanted and the simplicity of the moment was supernatural.

"Wanna go away with me?" he whispered.

She turned her face to him. She would go with him, anytime, anywhere. He didn't have to ask. There was no other way. Someone, god or whatever made the world go around, made it inevitable. There was no point in fighting and why would she voluntarily push away something that made her see the beauty of the world in a simple touch?

Her hand slipped into hi, to the place where it belonged. He led her out of the hut, away from the party, towards the beach. They were two lovers, sneaking away at night, careless of consequences and hungry for each other. She couldn't help but to giggle at the thought of their forbidden escape. Her laugh was contagious and he smiled too. She felt the urge to just stop him and kiss him, and kiss him until the morning light broke through the night.

Suddenly he turned to the left. They ascended up a small hill; he moved branches in front of them and he was her grip when she slipped on a wet ground. It was a path, hidden from the world and when they reached the top, she realized it led to Paradise.

The view offered the width, unseen from the beach. The moon was a reflector needed to show the infinity of the ocean. Wherever she looked, the ocean was everywhere. The night sky was decorated with stars and their reflection in the still water was something not even a painter could depict. It might have been that Amber's blissful heart saw perfection in even most ordinary things, but as she watched the ocean, so stable, so enormous, so powerful, so endless, so eternal, so wonderful and perfect, she couldn't help but to wonder if she wasn't staring into the love she felt for Bray.

Bray sat down. He hugged his knees, also captivated by what was in front of him. But he wasn't facing the ocean; he was looking at Amber, his saviour, his angel. She was his heart and it seemed impossible to love her more. Yet anytime he saw her, there was something that made his love even stronger. The love was off scale; it was bigger than life.

"This is so beautiful," she finally whispered.

"Yes, the most beautiful thing I've seen," he said, still without moving his eyes off her.

They continued standing, without saying a word about what their hearts were experiencing. The bud finally popped; like a beautiful rose their love had blossomed in its full strength and infinity.

She finally looked over her shoulder and saw him sitting down behind her. She too sat down, so close to him their bodies touched. She leant her head onto his shoulder and he embraced her, so tightly; they became as one.

"It seems all we ever do is get back together," she said.

"If that means I get to spend every day for the rest of my life with you, I don't mind."

Their eyes turned to each other and he smiled at her insecure face. He understood her pain; no one could even inflict him wounds that would ache more than them being apart. But yet it was worth it; for a moment like this he would do anything. The love he felt was indestructible.

He gently caressed her face; the skin he knew so well. His hand moved slowly, carefully as if touching a fragile rose, afraid to break it. A part of him still couldn't comprehend she was finally his again.

Slowly, the distance between their faces got smaller, until their lips finally united in a kiss; in a kiss that was long belated and expected with such a desire.

It was amazing grace and hallelujah; it was a long white dress and a veil and something old and something new and something borrowed and something blue; it was walking in the rain and dancing in the moonlight and a kiss on a mountain top; it was holy innocence and miracle of life and it was perfect.

His hand fell behind her waist and pulled her closer; her hand embraced his neck and their kiss deepened. It was growing in passion and the music in the distance was slowly fading. Other MallRats were finding their way into the world of dreams, yet the night was never more alive than in the moment when, accompanied by the brightest moon and the shining stars, two lovers were finally reunited; this time not in a simulation or in their dreams. The moment was their assurance that no matter what life would throw at them their love would stay.

Because it was real

And it was forever.

* * *

><p>The End.<p>

Broughttoyouby::: misswinter.


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